TNF-alpha TGF-beta2 and IL-1beta levels in gingival and peri-implant crevicular fluid before and after de novo plaque accumulation

AIMS: The aim of this split-mouth study was to investigate levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta2) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and peri-implant crevicular fluid (PICF) after a 21-day-period of de novo plaque accumulation in the same patient. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 25 patients, samples of GCF and PICF were collected in the sulcus of the tooth and of the implant after professional hygiene. After the no-hygiene phase (21 days), second samples of GCF and PICF were taken. Third samples were collected after 69 days of re-establishment oral hygiene techniques. The crevicular fluids were used to determine the volume and the levels of TNF-alpha, TGF-beta2 and IL-1beta. RESULTS: The volume of the crevicular fluids increased significantly after 21 days of plaque accumulation around teeth and implants and decreased significantly by 69 days. TNF-alpha and TGF-beta2 did not change significantly among the three different samples. A significant increase of IL-1beta was observed after plaque accumulation around the teeth GCF, whereas in the PICF the increase was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that increased volumes of GCF and PICF could be useful markers of early inflammation in gingival and peri-implant tissues. In the presence of de novo plaque, implants showed lower, and nearly significant, levels of IL-1beta compared with teeth.