Clinical efficacy of curcumin in treating oral submucous fibrosis and dynamic analysis of associated cytokines

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic, inflammation-driven precancerous condition. Current corticosteroid treatments often yield short-lived effects with adverse reactions. Curcumin's anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and immunomodulatory properties suggest therapeutic potential, but clinical evidence remains limited. This retrospective study enrolled 110 OSF patients (June 2023-September 2024), divided into a curcumin group (*n* = 54) and a triamcinolone group (*n* = 56), treated for 4 weeks. Outcomes included clinical efficacy, symptom improvement (visual analog scale [VAS] score, mouth opening, mucosal lesion area), and cytokine levels (IFN-γ, TGF-β1, TNF-α). The curcumin group showed higher total efficacy (88.89% vs 73.21%, P = .037), faster pain reduction (VAS: 2.25 ± 0.52 vs 2.86 ± 0.43 at week 4, P < .001), greater mouth opening (36.88 ± 2.07 mm vs 35.67 ± 2.71 mm, P < .05), and reduced lesion area (4.63 ± 0.54 cm² vs 5.61 ± 0.69 cm², P < .001). Serologically, curcumin increased IFN-γ (35.12 ± 5.05 pg/L vs 22.45 ± 4.50 pg/L, P < .001) and reduced TGF-β1 (1423.67 ± 290.35 pg/L vs 2750.45 ± 360.25 pg/L) and TNF-α (15.75 ± 5.43 pg/L vs 32.10 ± 7.25 pg/L, P < .001). In conclusion, curcumin outperformed triamcinolone in alleviating OSF symptoms, likely via dual regulation of IFN-γ (upregulation) and TGF-β1/TNF-α (downregulation), offering a promising therapeutic alternative.