A Comparative Study on the IL-8 Expression in Gingival Crevicular Fluid during Early Alignment Stage of Orthodontic Treatment in Adults and Adolescents

Background: Orthodontic tooth movement causes the release of various biomolecules such as interleukins. The aim of this study was to compare IL-8 expression in gingival crevicular fluid during early alignment stage of orthodontic treatment in adults and adolescents. Methods: The present study was done on 20 orthodontic patients, including 10 adolescents and 10 adults. Before bonding, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) was collected with a paper strip in gingival sulcus of maxillary right central incisor on the distolabial aspect for 60 seconds, followed by bonding and insertion of initial 14 NiTi arch wire. GCF collection was repeated 24 hours, 7 days, and 28 days after bonding. The IL-8 levels was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 using repeated measurement test. Statistically significant level was considered at P = 0.05. Results: In the present study, 14 patients (70%) were female and the rest were male. The mean age of the patients was 19.11 ± 6.23 years. The level of IL-8 at the baseline was higher than the other time periods, and on the first day after treatment, significantly decreased compared to the baseline. There was no statistically significant difference between age groups 19 years and ≥19, and also, gender in different time periods in terms of IL-8 level. Conclusion: The results of the present study revealed that the level of IL-8 significantly decreased on the first day of orthodontic treatment, and then, increased. There was no statistically significant difference between gender and age and IL-8 levels during treatment. Further studies with larger sample sizes and different treatment methods are recommended.