RESUMO
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to detect the presence of macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) and MIP-1ß and estimate their levels in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in children with dental caries and stainless steel crowns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 80 children with primary dentition were selected and categorized into four groups with twenty in each group; Group 1 - healthy subjects, Group 2 - dental caries, Group 3 - dental caries involving the pulp, and Group 4 - stainless steel crowns. GCF samples were collected by an extra-crevicular method with microcapillary pipettes. The GCF samples were quantified by ELISA and the levels of MIP-1α and MIP-1ß were determined. RESULTS: MIP-1α and MIP-1ß were detected in all the samples. Highest mean concentration in GCF was obtained for Group 3 followed by Groups 2 and 4 while the lowest concentration was seen in Group 1. This suggests that MIP-1α and MIP-1ß levels in GCF increased proportionately with the inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: GCF serves as a noninvasive diagnostic fluid to measure biomarkers released during dental caries initiation and progression. MIP-1α and MIP-1ß chemokines can be considered as novel biomarkers, in biological mechanism underlying the pathogenesis and inflammation in children with dental caries and stainless steel crowns.
