Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40649748›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of molecular sciences2025

The Role of Biomarkers in Temporomandibular Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Joana Maria Soares, Bruno Daniel Carneiro, Daniel Humberto Pozza

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of molecular sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. The Pathophysiological Mechanisms of Glia in Animal Models of Chronic Orofacial Pain: A Systematic Review.Pathophysiology : the official journal of the International Society for Pathophysiology · 2026
    Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Joana Maria SoaresDepartment of Biomedicine, Unit of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0009-0007-3184-3026
Bruno Daniel CarneiroDepartment of Biomedicine, Unit of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0003-3434-2247
Daniel Humberto PozzaDepartment of Biomedicine, Unit of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-2119-4479

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) impact quality of life and present diagnostic and treatment challenges. Biomarkers may serve as an additional tool to support diagnosis and monitor disease progression, offering supplementary information for treatment strategies in specific and selected patients. This systematic review aimed to assess the role of biomarkers in diagnosing TMD and guiding personalized treatment. It also examined key biomarkers linked to chronic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and how therapies affect biomarker levels and clinical outcomes. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify observational and interventional studies assessing the role of biomarkers in synovial fluid/tissue, saliva, and blood. The research was registered in PROSPERO, adhered to PRISMA guidelines, and employed Cochrane Risk of Bias tools. To assess the effect, only studies examining biomarker levels were considered. A total of forty-six studies met the inclusion criteria: three randomized controlled trials were rated as having some concerns, as were most of the observational studies. Elevated levels of interleukins (1ß and 6), tumour necrosis factor alpha, and prostaglandin E2 in synovial fluid were correlated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) inflammation. Increased matrix metalloproteinases (2, 7, and 9) indicated cartilage deterioration, while oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde were higher in TMD patients. Treatments including hyaluronic acid, platelet-rich plasma, and low-level laser therapy effectively reduced inflammatory biomarkers and improved symptoms. Biomarkers show potential to contribute to the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms in TMD and may support future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for selected patients. After high-quality studies confirm these findings, this approach will enable personalized medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patient profiles, ultimately leading to improved outcomes and quality of life.

Indexed as

BiomarkersTemporomandibular Joint DisordersHumansQuality of LifeSynovial FluidBiomarkersbiomarkerschronic paininflammatory cytokinesmatrix metalloproteinasesoxidative stresstemporomandibular disorderstemporomandibular joint

Identifiers

PMID40649748
PMCPMC12249596

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.