[Relationship between short-chain fatty acids in the gingival crevicular fluid and periodontitis of stage Ⅲ or Ⅳ].

Objective: To analyze the concentration of formic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients with stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ periodontitis, and their relationship with periodontitis.

Methods: The study enrolled 37 systemically healthy patients with periodontitis and 19 healthy controls who visited Department of Periodontology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from February 2008 to May 2011. Their GCFs were collected from the mesial-buccal site of one molar or incisor in each quadrant. Periodontal clinical parameters, including plaque index(PLI), probing depth(PD), bleeding index(BI), and attachment loss(AL). Concentrations of formic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid in the supernatant of the GCFs were analyzed by high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE). The prediction ability of formic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid with the risk of periodontitis and the differences between grade B and grade C periodontitis were analyzed.

Results: In this study, 32 patients with stage Ⅲ and 5 patients with stage Ⅳ were enrolled, including 9 patients with grade B and 28 patients with grade C. Clinical periodontal variables in the patients with periodontitis were significantly higher than those in the control group (<0.001). Formic acid was significantly lower in periodontitis than that in the control group [5.37 (3.39, 8.49) mmol/L 12.29 (8.35, 16.57) mmol/L, <0.001]. Propionic acid and butyric acid in periodontitis were significantly higher than those in the control group: Propionic acid, 10.23 (4.28, 14.90) mmol/L 2.71 (0.00, 4.25) mmol/L, < 0.001; butyric acid, 2.63 (0.47, 3.81) mmol/L 0.00 (0.00, 0.24) mmol/L, <0.001. There was no significant difference in formic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid concentrations between grade B and grade C periodontitis (>0.05). Propionic acid and butyric acid in the deep pocket were significantly higher than in the shallow pocket, while the concentration of formic acid decreased with the increase of PD. Propionic acid (=1.51, 95%: 1.29-1.75) and butyric acid (=3.72, 95%: 1.93-7.17) were risk factors for periodontitis, while formic acid (=0.87, 95%: 0.81-0.93) might be a protective factor for periodontitis. Propionic acid (AUC=0.852, 95%: 0.805－0.900), butyric acid (AUC=0.889, 95%: 0.841－0.937), f (formic acid, AUC=0.844, 95%: 0.793－0.895) demonstrated a good predictive capacity for the risk of periodontitis.

Conclusion: The concentration of formic acid decrease in the GCF of periodontitis patients, which is a protective factor for periodontitis, its reciprocal have good predictive capacity. However, propionic acid and butyric acid increase, which are risk factors for periodontitis and have good predictive capacity. The concentration of formic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid vary with probing depth, but there is no significant difference between grade B and grade C periodontitis.