Kinetics of Inflammatory and Pain Biomarkers during Self-Management Program Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders - Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Prospective Observational Study

Objectives: Investigate the salivary flow rate together with salivary levels of IL-6, IL-1β, substance P, glutamate and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in patients with temporomandibular disorders (myofascial pain) before and during self-management program. Moreover, evaluate the association of pain intensity with the biomarkers concentration.Materials and method: Saliva of nineteen patients diagnosed with TMD-MD was collected before self-management program and during the treatment (4 and 8 weeks).Results: No significant alteration of the expression levels of the biomarkers evaluated and the salivary flow rate throughout time was found. No correlation was found between pain intensity and the molecular parameters evaluated at any of the three moments.Conclusion: the biomarkers evaluated and salivary flow rates did not change during eight weeks of self-management program intervention in the sample evaluated.