Salivary Biomarkers in Periodontitis Patients: A Pilot Study.

Materials And Methods: Forty subjects were included: 10 periodontally healthy subjects and 30 periodontitis patients. Periodontal examination and saliva sampling were performed in all patients. Levels of salivary cytokines including IL-1, IL-6, MMP-8, and IL-10 were evaluated by a sandwich ELISA test kit. Data were analyzed by SPSS for Windows.

Results: Regarding individual biomarkers, IL-1, IL-6, and MMP-8 levels were significantly higher in periodontitis patients ( ≤ 0.001, < 0.05, respectively). The concentration of these proteins in saliva showed a significant association with gingival index and pocket depth measurements and may reflect the clinical status of healthy and diseased periodontium. However, no significant differences were observed for the IL-10 component.

Conclusion: IL-1 and IL-6 concentrations were statistically higher in periodontitis patients and may be used as potential tools in periodontitis diagnosis.