[Markers of periodontal destruction in saliva of periodontitis patients].

Unlabelled: Periodontal diseases result from interactions between periodontal microflora and the multifaceted response of the host. Markers of this interrelationship can be found in gingival crevicular fluid and saliva samples indicating early periodontal disease activity. Studies of host defense mediators in saliva of patients with periodontal diseases are very scarce.

Aim: The goal of this study was therefore to investigate interrelationships between mediators of local immunity in host saliva and clinical parameters of periodontal destruction in persons with chronic and aggressive periodontitis.

Methods And Subjects: Host defense indicators were measured using enzyme-immunochemistry tests in unstimulated saliva samples of persons with periodontitis. The degree of periodontal destruction was determined by measuring attachment loss. Subjects were divided into two groups: persons with mild signs of chronic periodontitis and persons with severe signs of aggressive periodontitis. Hypotheses about the structure of those samples and their interrelationship were tested using non-parametric methods.

Results: Results indicated that C-reactive protein, C3 component of the complement, alfa 2-macroglobulin and interleukin-6 levels differ significantly between patients with chronic and aggressive periodontitis. Interleukin-6, influencing cells with osteoblastic phenotype, is present at a high level in patients with aggressive periodontitis. Calcium was much lower than in healthy persons. Trypsin levels were lower in patients with periodontitis than in healthy persons. We found a significant interrelationship between host response mediators as measured in saliva and periodontal destruction measured by clinical attachment loss.

Conclusion: The levels of host defense mediators in saliva are different for chronic and aggressive periodontitis. This findings might help in estimating the course and progression of periodontal destruction, thus providing clinical benefits in treatment planning.