TNF‐α TGF‐β2 and IL‐1β 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-α), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β2) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) 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-α, TGF-β2 and IL-1β. 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-α and TGF-β2 did not change significantly among the three different samples. A significant increase of IL-1β 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-1β compared with teeth.