Dysbiosis of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory salivary cytokines during psoriasis providing a therapeutic window and a valuable diagnostic aid in future

The objective of this article is to evaluate the salivary levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and IL-10 in patients with active psoriasis and compare them with those in healthy control subjects. This study included 60 subjects who were clinically diagnosed cases with active psoriasis (categorized further into 33 mild to moderate and 27 severe cases based on the Psoriasis Area Severity Index score) and 60 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects. Levels of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-2, and IL-10 in the unstimulated saliva of subjects were determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (BT Lab). The salivary levels of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-2 were significantly higher, whereas IL-10 concentration was significantly reduced in psoriatic patients in comparison to controls, and the difference increased with the progressing severity of the disease. Assessment of cytokine profiles in psoriasis patients is significant for diagnostic validation and monitoring the disease severity. Saliva offers an alternate, noninvasive, and readily available biological sample for evaluating cytokine levels. Extensive research in this field has been recommended for better scientifically proven conclusions.