Frid Paula, Halbig Josefine M, Alstergren Per, Berstad Johanna Rykke, Cetrelli Lena, Feuerherm Astrid Jullumstrø, Flatø Berit, Rosen Annika, Rosendahl Karen, Rygg Marite, Rypdal Veronika, Songstad Nils-Thomas, Tømmerås Berit, Nordal Ellen, Al-Haroni Mohammed
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Public Dental Service Competence Centre of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2025 Jun 17;23(1):66. doi: 10.1186/s12969-025-01118-y.
Proinflammatory cytokines are central to disease mechanisms and important therapeutic targets in inflammatory chronic diseases. This exploratory study aimed to compare cytokine concentrations in saliva, serum, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) synovial fluid in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and controls.
In this cross-sectional study, we included consecutive children with JIA and TMJ arthritis, planned for a TMJ corticosteroid injection, and non-JIA controls from three different centers in Norway. Data on demographics, disease activity, presence of TMJ arthritis, and medication were obtained. Samples of unstimulated saliva, serum, and TMJ synovial fluid were collected. The amount of recovered synovial fluid in each sample, collected by the push-and-pull technique, was quantified with the hydroxocobalamin method. Cytokine levels were analyzed using Luminex xMAP technology.
Fifteen patients with JIA and TMJ arthritis (JIA-TMJ) (median age 15.0 (interquartile range (IQR) 11.0-16.0) years) and 34 controls (median age 13.0 (IQR 9.8-15.0) years) were consecutively recruited. Samples of saliva (JIA-TMJ, n = 13, and controls, n = 28), serum (JIA-TMJ, n = 11, and controls, n = 16), and TMJ synovial fluid (JIA-TMJ, n = 8) were collected. In saliva from JIA-TMJ, we found significantly higher levels of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, Eotaxin, FGF basic, GM CSF, PDGF bb, TNF, and RANTES, while IP-10 was found in significantly lower concentration compared to controls. In serum, there were no significant differences in these cytokine concentrations between JIA-TMJ and controls. Three TMJ synovial samples fulfilled the strict sampling criteria and were included in the analysis. The level of detected cytokines in TMJ synovial samples was higher in JIA-TMJ compared to controls, as described in a previous Nordic study.
In this exploratory study, several proinflammatory cytokines were found in higher concentrations in saliva in JIA-TMJ compared to saliva from the controls. No differences were seen in serum between the groups. Some pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines detected in JIA-TMJ synovial fluid were found in higher concentrations compared to TMJ synovial fluid from healthy adult reference data.
促炎细胞因子是炎症性慢性疾病发病机制的核心及重要治疗靶点。本探索性研究旨在比较幼年特发性关节炎（JIA）患儿与对照组儿童唾液、血清及颞下颌关节（TMJ）滑液中的细胞因子浓度。
在这项横断面研究中，我们纳入了来自挪威三个不同中心的连续的患有JIA和TMJ关节炎、计划接受TMJ皮质类固醇注射的患儿，以及非JIA对照组。获取了人口统计学、疾病活动度、TMJ关节炎的存在情况及用药的数据。收集了未刺激唾液、血清及TMJ滑液样本。通过推挽技术收集的每个样本中的滑液回收量，采用羟钴胺素法进行定量。使用Luminex xMAP技术分析细胞因子水平。
连续招募了15例患有JIA和TMJ关节炎（JIA-TMJ）的患者（中位年龄15.0（四分位间距（IQR）11.0 - 16.0）岁）和34例对照组（中位年龄13.0（IQR 9.8 - 15.0）岁）。收集了唾液样本（JIA-TMJ组，n = 13；对照组，n = 28）、血清样本（JIA-TMJ组, n = 11；对照组, n = 16）和TMJ滑液样本（JIA-TMJ组, n = 8）。在JIA-TMJ组的唾液中，我们发现细胞因子IL-1β、IL-4、IL-5、IL-9、IL-10、IL-12、IL-13、IL-17、嗜酸性粒细胞趋化因子、碱性成纤维细胞生长因子、粒细胞巨噬细胞集落刺激因子、血小板衍生生长因子bb、肿瘤坏死因子和调节激活正常T细胞表达和分泌因子的水平显著更高，而与对照组相比，干扰素γ诱导蛋白10的浓度显著更低。在血清中，JIA-TMJ组与对照组之间这些细胞因子浓度无显著差异。三个TMJ滑液样本符合严格的采样标准并纳入分析。与对照组相比，JIA-TMJ组TMJ滑液样本中检测到的细胞因子水平更高，如先前一项北欧研究中所述。
在本探索性研究中，与对照组唾液相比，JIA-TMJ组唾液中发现几种促炎细胞因子浓度更高。两组血清中未见差异。与来自健康成人参考数据的TMJ滑液相比，在JIA-TMJ组滑液中检测到的一些促炎和抗炎细胞因子浓度更高。
