Volume 30, Issue 174, August 2026

Inflammatory Cytokines in Saliva as Biomarkers of Periodontal Disease

Natalia Kruk^1♦, Szymon Uszak, Julia Rojek, Patrycja Jędrzejewska, Julia Hofmann, Izabela Ślusarczyk, Wojciech Szlajss, Daria Wieczorek, Jan Olszewski, Adrianna Chachuła

Medical University of Lodz: Lodz, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Natalia Kruk, Medical University of Lodz: Lodz, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland

ABSTRACT

Periodontal disease is just prevalent chronic inflammatory condition of the supporting tissues of the teeth, with well-established associations with systemic health outcomes. The shortcomings of conventional clinical diagnostic methods have driven research into non-invasive salivary biomarkers, particularly inflammatory cytokines. This current review synthesises current evidence regarding the diagnostic utility of salivary cytokines in periodontal disease. A review of 18 studies found that a multi-cytokine panel is better than single-marker approaches, showing that the disease is caused by more than one thing. A 2026 study looking at samples from different parts of the body showed much higher levels of certain chemicals (IL-8 and IL-17A) in people who had gum disease. IL-6 and IL-1β also increased. Researchers also found a link between Megasphaera and salivary IL-8 in gingivitis. The available evidence suggests that measuring the levels of certain proteins in the saliva (called cytokines) could be useful in precision dentistry. However, this would only be possible if the collection and analysis of the samples were done in the same way every time.

Keywords: Periodontal disease; saliva; cytokines; biomarkers; IL-1β; IL-8; IL-17A; gingivitis; inflammation

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e164ms3894

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Published: 25 August 2026