ArticleThe journal of headache and pain2020
Altered levels of salivary and plasma pain related markers in temporomandibular disorders.
Article in The journal of headache and pain, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 46 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficiency of occlusal splint therapy on orofacial muscle pain reduction: a systematic review.BMC oral health · 2023Pooled it
- Piano level laser therapy versus epidermal growth factor injection for painful myogenic temporomandibular disorder (a randomized clinical trial).Clinical oral investigations · 2025Trial
- Muscle-Nerve Signaling and Neurogenic Inflammation in Temporomandibular Disorders: Potential Contributions of Occlusal Interference and Other Peripheral Triggers.Dentistry journal · 2026Review
- Maternal Salivary Glutamate in Women Undergoing Vaginal Delivery: A Comparison Between Epidural Labor Analgesia and Systemic Morphine Analgesia.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Epigenetic and biomolecular mechanisms in chronic temporomandibular disorder-related pain: an integrative review.Molecular biology reports · 2026Review
- Biosensors in dental, oral and craniofacial applications.Npj biosensing · 2026Review
- Nerve growth factor: what can surgeons and oncologists learn from a neurological and psychological biomarker?Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.) · 2025Review
- Genetic prediction of blood metabolites and causal relationships with pain associated with temporomandibular disorders: a Mendelian randomization study.Journal of oral & facial pain and headache · 2025Article
- Temporomandibular disorders and mental health: shared etiologies and treatment approaches.The journal of headache and pain · 2025Review
- A study of salivary cortisol and glutamate after the cold pressor task in healthy adults.PeerJ · 2025Article
- A highly sensitive enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay allows accurate measurements of brain‑derived neurotrophic factor levels in human saliva.F1000Research · 2025Article
- Does salivary cortisol serve as a potential biomarker for temporomandibular disorders in adults?BMC oral health · 2024Article
- The Temporomandibular Joint and the Human Body: A New Perspective on Cross Talk.Dentistry journal · 2024Review
- Targeting nerve growth factor for pain relief: pros and cons.The Korean journal of pain · 2024Review
- Association between psychological stress and mandibular condyle structure: an analytical cross-sectional study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Article
- Oral management for a patient with trismus accompanied by Isaacs' syndrome: a case report.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- The Role of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Chronic Pain: Links to Central Sensitization and Neuroinflammation.Biomolecules · 2024Review
- Pain and the biochemistry of fibromyalgia: patterns of peripheral cytokines and chemokines contribute to the differentiation between fibromyalgia and controls and are associated with pain, fat infiltration and content.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Markers of Tissue Deterioration and Pain on Earth and in Space.Journal of pain research · 2024Article
- The diurnal pattern of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in human saliva-a pilot study.Frontiers in dental medicine · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDifferent pain syndromes may be characterized by different profiles of mediators reflecting pathophysiological differences, and these alterations may be measured in a simple saliva sample. The aims of the current study were to compare concentration of glutamate, serotonin (5-HT), nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and substance P (SP) in saliva and plasma from a well-defined group of patients with chronic temporomandibular disorders myalgia (TMD-myalgia) with a group of pain-free controls, and further investigate the relationship between these markers and clinical characteristics.
methodsPatients diagnosed according to the diagnostic criteria for TMD (n = 39), and matched healthy pain-free controls (n = 39) were included. Stimulated whole saliva and plasma samples were collected in the morning. Glutamate was analysed using a colorimetric assay, and 5-HT and SP were analysed by commercially available ELISA. Levels of NGF and BDNF were determined using multiplex electrochemiluminescence assay panel.
resultsPatients expressed higher salivary and plasma levels of glutamate (saliva: 40.22 ± 13.23 μmol/L; plasma: 30.31 ± 18.73 μmol/L) than controls (saliva: 33.24 ± 11.27 μmol/L; plasma: 20.41 ± 15.96 μmol/L) (p < 0.05). Salivary NGF (0.319 ± 0.261 pg/ml) and BDNF (3.57 ± 1.47 pg/ml) were lower in patients compared to controls (NGF: 0.528 ± 0.477 pg/ml; BDNF 4.62 ± 2.51 pg/ml)(p's < 0.05). Contrary, plasma BDNF, was higher in patients (263.33 ± 245.13 pg/ml) than controls (151.81 ± 125.90 pg/ml) (p < 0.05). 5-HT was undetectable in saliva. Neither plasma 5-HT, nor SP levels differed between groups. BDNF and NGF concentrations correlated to levels of psychological distress (p < 0.0005).
conclusionThe higher levels of salivary and plasma glutamate in patients with TMD-myalgia compared to controls strengthens its importance in the pathophysiology of TMD-myalgia. However, the lack of correlation to pain levels question its role as a putative biomarker. Patients with TMD-myalgia further had lower levels of salivary NGF and BDNF, but higher plasma BDNF. These results and their correlations to psychological distress warrant further investigations.
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