CHANGES IN THE CYTOKINE LEVELS IN ADOLESCENTS WITH
GINGIVITIS AFTER TREATMENT WITH PROPOLIS
STELA PEYCHEVA 1, ELISAVETA APOSTOLOVA 2*, ZHIVKO PEYCHEV 3, PETYA GARDJEVA 4, ANTON SLAVOV 5, MARIANNA MURDJEVA 4
1Department of Paediatric Dental Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University-Plovdiv, 15A Vassil Aprilov
Blvd. 4002, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
2Department of Pharmacology and Drug Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University-Plovdiv, 15A Vassil Aprilov
Blvd. 4002, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
3Department of Medical Informatics, Biostatistics and e-learning, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University-Plovdiv, 15A
Vassil Aprilov Blvd. 4002, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
4Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University-Plovdiv, 15A Vassil Aprilov Blvd.
4002, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
5Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Technology, University of Food Technologies–26 Maritsa
Blvd., Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria.
*corresponding author: apostolova1212@gmail.com
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Abstract:
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of two treatment approaches on the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17A,
IL-18, and IFN-γ in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in adolescents with moderate gingivitis. The participants were
divided randomly into two groups (n = 35) as follows: group A - instructed to use marketed toothpaste, and group AP -
instructed to add 10 drops of Propolin® to the toothpaste before every brushing. Samples of GCF were collected at the first
visit and on the 20th day of the study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used for the assay of each
cytokine concentration. We detected a significant reduction in the levels of IL-1β (p ˂ 0.01), TNF-α (p ˂ 0.01), IL-18 (p ˂
0.05) and INF-γ (p ˂ 0.01) in group A on the 20th day in comparison to the initial levels. Participants in group AP registered
significantly lower levels of IL-1β (p ˂ 0.001), IL-6 (p ˂ 0.001), TNF-α (p ˂ 0.001), IL-17A (p ˂ 0.05), IL-18 (p ˂ 0.01),
IFN-γ (p ˂ 0.001). Comparing the cytokine levels in the groups on the 20th day of the treatment, we registered significantly
lower levels of IL-1β (p ˂ 0.05) and IL-18 (p ˂ 0.05) in group AP when compared to group A. IL-18 and IL-1β could be used
as inflammatory biomarkers in adolescents with gingivitis. The addition of propolis to the toothpaste resulted in a reduction
of the gingival inflammation in adolescents with moderate gingivitis and greater gingival health improvement than the sole
use of a toothpaste.

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