The Role of Cytokines in Orthodontic Tooth Movement

One of the most important breakthroughs in the understanding of bone biology was the identification of the role of cytokines in bone remodelling including the alveolar bone exposed to the effect of mechanical forces during orthodontic treatment. Since bone remodelling is associated, in its early phase, with inflammation of the surrounding tissue, the hypothesis has been suggested on the role of proinflammatory cytokines in the process of bone remodelling, primarily IL-1 beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. These cytokines function as response mediators in the acute phase of inflammation, as well as in the processes of metabolism, and stimulation of resorption and inhibition of bone formation. Mostly uninvestigated, the dynamics of concurrent changes of these three cytokines during the early phase of orthodontic teeth movement in children and adults was the subject of our investigation presented in this article on the current knowledge on the role of cytokines in this process.