Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha in Peripical Tissue Exudates of Teeth with Apical Periodontitis

AIM The aim of this study was to determine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in periapical exudates and to evaluate their relationship with radiological findings. METHODOLOGY Periapical exudates were collected from root canals of 60 single-rooted teeth using absorbent paper points. TNF-alpha levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The samples were divided into three groups according to the periapical radiolucent area. RESULTS Nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences between TNF-alpha concentrations in control group (40, 57+/-28, 15 pg/mL) and group with larger radiolucent areas (2365, 79+/-582, 95 pg/mL), as well as between control and canals with small radiolucent areas (507, 66+/-278, 97) (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS The levels of TNF-alpha increase significantly in teeth with periapical pathosis, from smaller to bigger lesions. This research and its results have shown that objective analysis of the TNF-alpha levels enables establishment of a relationship between different concentrations of TNF-alpha and different radiological changes.