Salivary Cytokine Profiles in Oral Health and Disease

Salivary cytokines are small signalling proteins secreted by oral and immune cells that serve as dynamic indicators of both local and systemic inflammatory states. In a healthy oral environment, basal cytokine levels maintain tissue equilibrium and support host defence against microbial challenges. Disruption of this balance, as observed in gingivitis, periodontitis or dental caries, leads to shifts towards pro‐inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α. The non-invasive nature of saliva collection, combined with advances in multiplex immunoassays, has propelled salivary cytokine profiling into a promising diagnostic and monitoring tool. Quantitative assessment of interleukins, chemokines and growth factors in saliva offers insight into disease onset, progression and response to therapy. Interindividual factors—including age, sex and salivary flow rate—influence baseline concentrations and must be considered when interpreting results. Integrating salivary cytokine analysis into routine practice has the potential to enable early detection, guide personalised treatment and evaluate therapeutic efficacy across a spectrum of oral diseases.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have characterised normative salivary cytokine ranges and their modulation by physiological and pathological factors. In a large cross-sectional cohort of healthy children and adolescents, concentrations of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and interleukin-10 were positively associated with gingival inflammation, while increased salivary flow rates correlated inversely with pro-inflammatory markers. These findings establish paediatric reference intervals and demonstrate how demographic and oral health variables influence biomarker interpretation.

In a controlled clinical investigation of periodontal regenerative therapy, analysis of gingival crevicular fluid revealed that applications of enamel matrix derivatives altered local cytokine milieus. In vitro experiments showed reductions in key pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in treated gingival fibroblasts, whereas clinical measurements indicated a complex interplay between inflammatory resolution and tissue repair. This work highlights the potential for therapeutic modulation of cytokine profiles to enhance periodontal regeneration.

Salivary Cytokine Profiles in Oral Health and Disease publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in salivary cytokine profiles in oral health and disease across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Cytokine: A small protein released by cells that mediates and regulates immune and inflammatory responses.

Chemokine: A subset of cytokines that directs the migration of immune cells to sites of inflammation.

Biomarker: A measurable indicator of a biological state or condition, used for diagnosis or monitoring disease.

Gingivitis: Inflammation of the gum tissue characterised by redness, swelling and bleeding on probing.

Periodontitis: A chronic inflammatory disease leading to destruction of the supporting structures of the teeth.

References

1. Associations between salivary cytokines and oral health, age, and sex in healthy children. Scientific Reports (2022).
2. EMD in periodontal regenerative surgery modulates cytokine profiles: A randomised controlled clinical trial. Scientific Reports (2016).
3. Salivary IL-6 as a Biomarker for Early Childhood and Rampant Caries: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Study. Biomedicines (2025).
4. Salivary cytokine levels in early gingival inflammation. Journal of Oral Microbiology (2017).
5. Inflammatory markers in the saliva of cerebral palsy individuals with gingivitis after periodontal treatment. Brazilian Oral Research (2019).