Effect of Periodontal Treatment on Systemic Markers of Inflammation

Methods: Clinical data, subgingival plaque samples and peripheral blood were collected from 20, otherwise healthy, subjects with chronic periodontitis before and six weeks after the completion of initial periodontal treatment. Members of the red subgingival complex (P. gingivalis, T. forsythia and T. denticola) were assessed using the quantitive technique “Checkerboard” DNA – DNA hybridization. Serum levels of MMP-8, IL-8, IL-1β, TNFα, IL-6 were determined by “Checkerboard” immunoblotting while serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was measured by nephelometry.

Results: Only MMP-8 levels were statistical significantly decreased following periodontal treatment (Wilcoxon signed rank test, p=0.03), while correlated at baseline with pocket depth and attachment loss (Spearman rank test, p=0.02 and p=0.023). None of the others markers studied were statistical significantly modified following treatment or correlated with clinical parameters at any time point. IL-1β and TNFα were the only cytokines constantly correlated with each other and with microbiological findings at baseline.

Conclusions: Improvement in periodontal health did not influence the levels of inflammation mediators in systemic circulation. However, tissue destruction markers, such as MMP-8, may enhance the implication of periodontal inflammation to severe systemic diseases.