Evaluation of Serum Levels of Interleukin-6 and -8 in Patients with Recurrent Aphthous Ulcerations

Statement of problem:

 Recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) are one of the most common ulcers in the oral cavity. Several studies have shown conflicting variations for inflammatory cytokines and other biologic markers in recurrent aphthous ulcers.

The aim of the present study was to determine the level of IL-8 and IL-6 in the serum of patients with recurrent aphthous ulcers.

In this case- control study, the serum levels of IL-8 and IL-6 were measured in patients with recurrent aphthous ulcers (n=40) and in healthy control subjects (n=40). The cytokines levels were measured in the serum by ELISA. The data were analyzed with SPSS software using T- test.

The mean value of the IL-8 and IL-6 in the patient group was 52.24 pg/ml and 9.39 pg/ml which was 10 and 4 times higher than that of the control group, respectively. The differences were statistically significant (p <0.01).

The results of the present study showed that the serum levels of IL-8 and IL-6 were elevated in the patient group, IL-8 level being more considerable.