Author: Lechner J, Noumbissi S, von Baehr V.

Source: EPMA Journal.

Year: 2018

Comment:

Abstract / Excerpt:

Background and introduction
It is a well-known fact that titanium particles deriving from dental titanium implants (DTI) dissolve into the surrounding bone. Although titanium (TI) is regarded as a compatible implant material, increasing concern is coming up that the dissolved titanium particles induce inflammatory reactions around the implant. Specifically, the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is expressed in the adjacent bone. The transition from TNF-α-induced local inflammation following insertion of DTI surgery to a chronic stage of “silent inflammation” could be a neglected cause of unexplained medical conditions.

Material and methods
The signaling pathways involved in the induction of cytokine release were analyzed by multiplex analysis. We examined samples of jawbone (JB) for seven cytokines in two groups: specimens from 14 patients were analyzed in areas of DTI for particle-mediated release of cytokines. Each of the adjacent to DTI tissue samples showed clinically fatty degenerated and osteonecrotic medullary changes in the JB (FDOJ). Specimens from 19 patients were of healthy JB. In five cases, we measured the concentration of dissolved Ti particles by spectrometry.

Results
All DTI-FDOJ samples showed RANTES/CCL5 (R/C) as the only extremely overexpressed cytokine. DTI-FDOJ cohort showed a 30-fold mean overexpression of R/C as compared with a control cohort of 19 healthy JB samples. Concentration of dissolved Ti particles in DTI-FDOJ was 30-fold higher than an estimated maximum of 1.000 μg/kg.

Citation: Lechner J, Noumbissi S, von Baehr V. Titanium implants and silent inflammation in jawbone—a critical interplay of dissolved titanium particles and cytokines TNF-α and RANTES/CCL5 on overall health?. EPMA Journal. 2018:1-3.