Peri-implant health is associated with low levels of TNF-α

This study aimed to assess tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression in peri-implant crevicular fluid (PICF) of patients receiving peri-implant supportive therapy. Twenty-six participants with implant-supported prostheses, functioning for at least 1 year, were divided into two groups: control (peri-implant health, n=8) and mucositis (peri-implant mucositis, n=18). All underwent clinical and radiographic exams and received non-invasive therapy (mechanical debridement, with ultrasonic scalers to remove calculus and sodium air-abrasive polishing to eliminate soft debris from the implant and prosthetic components + 0.12% chlorhexidine). Timepoints were: Time 1 (initial diagnosis/treatment); Time 2 (15 days post-diagnosis); Time 3 (21 days after). PICF samples collected at each time point analyzed TNF-α levels via ELISA. While clinical parameters showed no group differences, a trend (p=0.07) towards more keratinized gingiva in controls was noted. Significant TNF-α differences were found over time in the control group (p = 0.029, Kruskal-Wallis), with Dunn's test showing T2/T3 differences (p=0.03). The Mucositis group showed no time differences (p=0.96). Over 36 days, no significant difference (p=0.86, Kruskal-Wallis) was found between the control and mucositis groups. TNF-α levels decreased significantly after 36 days in both groups, more so in controls. Therapy reduced mucositis from 70% to 23%. Overall, while TNF-α levels alone may not conclusively differentiate between healthy and mucositis-affected sites in every context, they do appear to correlate with improvements in peri-implant health following therapeutic intervention.