Lubricin in synovial fluid of mild and severe temporomandibular joint internal derangements

Background To understand the molecular basis of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathologies, we aimed to investigate the lubricin levels in the TMJ synovial fluid (SF) of patients with mild to severe internal derangements (IDs). Material and Methods A total, 34 joints were the study group. Only patients, with a Wilkes stage of III, IV and V were included, in this sample. Control group consisted of SF from eight joints, from patients undergoing to orthognatic surgery. Concentrations of lubricin in the SF from both samples were measured using ELISA system. Results The mean lubricin concentration was 7.029 ± 0.21 µg/mL in stage III patients; 5.64 ± 0.10 µg/mL in stage IV patients, and 4.78 ± 0.1…