P. Alstergren et al., THE EFFECT ON JOINT FLUID CONCENTRATION OF NEUROPEPTIDE-Y BY INTRAARTICULAR INJECTION OF GLUCOCORTICOID IN TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT ARTHRITIS, Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 54(1), 1996, pp. 1-7
Twenty-two patients (29 joints) with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) art
hritis of specific or unspecific nature were given one intra-articular
glucocorticoid (GC) injection. The effect on subjective symptoms and
clinical signs in the craniomandibular system and on joint aspirate co
ncentration of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) was evalu
ated at follow-up visits 2-3 or 4-6 weeks after treatment. In the pati
ents with specific inflammatory joint disease the treatment resulted i
n an improvement of symptoms and clinical signs and in a reduction in
the TMJ level of NPY-LI 2-3 weeks after treatment. In the patients wit
h unspecific inflammatory joint disease there was also an improvement
in the clinical variables and a reduction in the NPY-LI level after 2-
3 weeks, bur not on a statistically significant level. The results of
this study show that intra-articular GC treatment causes a short-term
decrease of the TMJ fluid level of NPY-LI in patients with specific in
flammatory joint disease, while symptoms and sig ns improve.