Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35897358›Full record

Trial reportInternational journal of environmental research and public health2022

A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Levels of the Biomarkers hs-CRP, IL-6, and IL-8 in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorder Treated with LLLT, Traditional Conservative Treatment, and a Combination of Both.

Abdalwhab Ma Zwiri, Wan Muhamad Amir W Ahmad, Jawaad Ahmed Asif, Khoo Suan Phaik, Adam Husein, Nur Karyatee Kassim, Zuryati Ab-Ghani

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.3field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The Role of Biomarkers in Temporomandibular Disorders: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Abdalwhab Ma ZwiriSchool of Dental Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0002-6951-5163
Wan Muhamad Amir W AhmadSchool of Dental Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0003-2366-3918
Jawaad Ahmed AsifSchool of Dental Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia.
Khoo Suan PhaikDepartment of Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, School of Dentistry, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Adam HuseinSchool of Dental Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0001-5962-6110
Nur Karyatee KassimSchool of Dental Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia.
Zuryati Ab-GhaniSchool of Dental Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0002-7923-9414
Universiti Sains Malaysia · MYIMU University · MY

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a type of idiopathic orofacial pain. Inflammation, particularly elevated circulating levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8), has been linked to pain symptoms. The purpose of this study was to compare hs-CRP, IL-6, and IL-8 biomarkers and pain intensity with different treatment strategies (LLLT, standard conservative treatment, and combination) for TMD patients.

methodsA total of 32 participants were randomly included in the study and divided into three groups (Group I, Group II, and Group III) referred from the Dental Clinic, School of Dental Science, HUSM. Patients received LLLT (Groups II and III) in five sessions for the duration of 10 days. Patients in Groups I and III received standard conservative TMD treatment (diet and stress counseling, jaw exercises, physical therapy, which was a hot towel application) by the principal investigator. All blood samples for biomarkers were performed before starting treatments and directly after finishing the treatment protocols, where all results were recorded.

resultsThe result showed a significant difference in the mean IL-8 (

conclusionsA statistically non-significant difference was found in hs-CRP and IL-6 before and after LLLT, conservative, and combined treatment strategies of TMD. A statistically significant difference was observed in the mean levels of IL-8 between the LLLT intervention group and the combined treatment group. Although there was no statistically significant correlation between pain intensity and biomarkers, a statistically significant difference was found in pain intensity before and after LLLT, conservative, and combined treatment strategies. TMJ degeneration could be exacerbated by elevated IL-8 levels. Thus, this can be an important biomarker to mark or identify the painful condition of TMJ.

Indexed as

Low-Level Light TherapyTemporomandibular Joint DisordersBiomarkersConservative TreatmentC-Reactive ProteinFacial PainHumansInterleukin-6Interleukin-8Treatment OutcomeBiomarkersC-Reactive ProteinInterleukin-6Interleukin-8hs-CRPIL-6IL-8LLLTTMD biomarkersTMD treatment

Identifiers

PMID35897358
PMCPMC9332699
OpenAlexW4287009938

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.