Expression of cytokines in gingival crevicular fluid associated with tooth movement induced by aligners: a pilot...

The search for more aesthetic and comfortable orthodontic devices has led to an increase in the use of clear aligners.

To increase knowledge on biological mechanisms of orthodontic tooth movement using Invisalign aligners.

This study included 11 patients with a mean age of 23.6 ± 4.8 years. Cases planning included alignment and leveling of lower incisors using Invisalign aligners. Gingival crevicular fluid samples were collected from the lower incisors on the day of delivery of aligner number 1 (T0) and after 1 (T24h), 7 (T7d), and 21 (T21d) days. During the observation period of the study, the patients used only the aligner number 1. Levels of nine cytokines were quantified using Luminex's multi-analysis technology. Non-parametric tests were used for comparisons between cytokine expression levels over time.

Cytokine expression levels remained constant after 21 days of orthodontic activation, except those of MIP-1β, which presented a statistical difference between T24h and T21d with a decrease in the concentration levels. IL-8, GM-CSF, IL-1β, MIP-1β, and TNF-α showed the highest concentrations over time.

The different behavior in the levels of the investigated cytokines indicates a role of these biomarkers in the tissue remodeling induced by Invisalign.