A clinical study: Relation between the intra-articular temperature of the temporomandibular joint and the presence of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity in the joint fluid

Abstract

Arthritic temporomandibular joints were examined for the joint fluid content of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) and the intra-articular temperature at two separate sessions. Sixteen patients (23 joints) with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and unspecific polyarthritis or monarthritis were investigated in this study. The intraarticular temperature ranged between 35.6 and 37.5 °C, The concentration of NPY-LI ranged between 72.1 and 4466.0 pmol/1 and was above the normal plasma level in all patients. The intra-articular temperature was negatively correlated with the joint fluid concentration of NPY-LI. Moreover, patients with low intra-articular temperature and high concentration of NPY-LI had a shorter duration of TMJ symptoms than those with high intra-articular temperature and low concentration of NPY-LI.