IADR Abstract Archives

Salivary and Serum Procalcitonin and C-Reactive-Protein as Potential Periodontitis Biomarkers

Objectives:  Serum procalcitonin (PCT) is elevated  in response to bacterial infections, whereas serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a non-specific inflammatory marker. Salivary hsCRP also is elevated with systemic inflammation. Salivary and serum PCT have both been shown to be higher in diabetic patients with moderate to severe periodontitis (Mod/Sev PD) vs. absent/mild PD (No/Mild PD). We examined the utility of PCT compared to hsCRP in saliva and serum as a biomarker of Mod/Sev PD in patients with rheumatoid (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA), disorders with a higher PD frequency.

Methods:  Blood and unstimulated whole saliva were collected from RA (American College of Rheumatology criteria, N=32) and OA (physician/radiologic diagnosis, N=50) patients seen in the DCVAMC Rheumatology Clinic. Patients had no systemic infections.  Specimens were centrifuged to yield serum and clear saliva of gross debris, and frozen in aliquots until assayed for PCT (Kryptor method) and hsCRP (Salimetrics for saliva, nephelometry for serum). PD was assessed with the examiner (RSR) calibrated to standard PD parameters by a periodontist (JBP).  Data were expressed as mean ng/ml ± SD.

Results: Serum PCT was higher in Mod/Sev PD than in No/Mild PD (Eke et al. definition, 0.069±0.033 vs. 0.049±0.013 ng/ml, t-test p=0.001). Serum hsCRP also was higher in Mod/Sev PD than in No/Mild PD (9.989±23.289 vs. 3.495±4.856, t-test p=0.039). Mod/Sev PD vs. No/Mild PD did not differ for salivary PCT (0.043±0.024 vs. 0.036±0.017, t-test p=0.262) or hsCRP (6.636±8.090 vs. 6.865±5.978, t-test p=0.912). Concentrations of PCT or hsCRP in saliva or serum did not differ between RA and OA patients.

Conclusion:  These results suggest that serum PCT is superior to serum hsCRP as a potential biomarker for Mod/Sev PD in arthritis patients because hsCRP exhibited greater variability. PCT may be an important biomarker given reports showing PD associations with poor disease outcomes among arthritis patients.


AADR/CADR Annual Meeting
2014 AADR/CADR Annual Meeting (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Charlotte, North Carolina
2014
605
Salivary Research
  • Redman, Robert  ( Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA )
  • Kerr, Gail  ( Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA )
  • Nylén, Eric  ( Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA )
  • Mikuls, Ted  ( University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA )
  • Payne, Jeffrey  ( University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Dentistry, Lincoln, NE, USA )
  • Huang, Jeffrey  ( Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA )
  • Kokkinos, John  ( Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA )
  • Becker, Kenneth  ( Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA )
    • Poster Session
    Salivary Biomarkers and Salivary Gland Function/ Dysfunction
    03/20/2014