Inflammatory signatures may distinguish dental caries
Combining IL-17 with TNF-alpha showed strong discrimination between carious lesions and healthy controls, but performance was more modest against gingival inflammation.
By
Andrea Surnit
September 9, 2026
Objective: To assess the ability of salivary cytokine signatures to distinguish carious lesions from healthy oral states and gingival inflammation.
Approach: Study Design: A proof-of-concept case-control ancillary study using data from the ORASPORT cohort, analyzing 65 patients aged 18 to 30 years.Cytokine Analysis: Collected unstimulated whole saliva and quantified 9 cytokines using the S-PLEX Proinflammatory Panel 1.Assessment Methods: Evaluated assay sensitivity, linearity, reproducibility, and the ability of cytokine combinations to discriminate between groups.Key Findings: All 9 cytokines were detectable in over 97% of samples; 8 were found in all patients. TNF-alpha was the strongest discriminator of carious lesions from healthy controls. IL-6 was elevated in patients with carious lesions compared to healthy controls. The combination of IL-17 and TNF-alpha provided the highest discrimination for carious lesions from healthy controls. The study found modest discrimination for carious lesions from gingival inflammation. Interpretation: IL-17 in combination with TNF-alpha and/or IL-1 beta are considered candidate salivary signatures for prospective validation.
Limitations: Modest sample size and narrow age range limited generalizability. Cross-sectional design prevented causal inference. Absence of radiographic examinations may have missed hidden lesions. Lack of periodontal probing limited characterization of gingival inflammation. Exclusion of patients with both caries and gingival inflammation reduced representation of overlapping conditions. Conclusion: The findings are hypothesis-generating and require validation in larger studies.
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