Does TGF-β play a role in degenerative temporomandibular joint diseases? A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this review was to assess the literature for evidence investigating the role of TGF-β in temporomandibular joint disease with osteoarthritis.

METHOD: An electronic and manual search was carried out on the databases, MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web Of Science, and EMBASE, from 1975 to December 2015 by two independent evaluators to identify clinical and laboratory trials in English.

RESULTS

The search produced 693 records. Following a process of selection based on certain criteria, eight articles were included.

DISCUSSION: This systematic review suggests that TGF-β administration alone does not result in joint regeneration; other factors may be involved, such as TGF-β receptor expression ,and TGF-β receptor mutations that do not allow a correct transduction, resulting in TGF-β deficiency. The anabolism induced by this growth factor is also able to neutralize the catabolic processes that are elevated in osteoarthritis. Therefore, further studies are essential to determine how the concentration of TGF-β in the temporomandibular joints acts as a potential marker for the development of degenerative conditions.