Concentrations of interleukin-32, interleukin −10, interleukin −6, and TNF-alfa are higher in saliva of children with early childhood caries

Aim: To investigate if the levels of interleukin-32 (IL-32), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) in the saliva are associated with early childhood caries. Methods: A total of 56 patients aged between 36 and 71 months with dental caries and without caries were included in this study. The patients' caries status was evaluated according to the dmft and dmfs indices. IL-32, IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-a levels in the saliva samples of the patients were measured by ELISA. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the oral hygiene and nutritional habits, plaque index, and gingival index values between the ECC and control groups evaluated in the study (p > 0.05). The ECC group's salivary IL-32, IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-a levels were statistically significantly higher than the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The high levels of IL-32, IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-a detected in the saliva of children with ECC reveal that these cytokines may play a potential role in ECC pathogenesis. Salivary levels of IL-32, IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-a are associated with early childhood caries in children. & COPY; 2023 Japanese Society of Pediatric Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.