Degree of Gingivitis Correlates to Systemic Inflammation Parameters

Background: Investigation of interrelations between periodontal and systemic inflammatory parameters in periodontal health.

Methods: 40 periodontally healthy (probing pocket depths [PPD]<3.6 mm and from 3.6 mm to 4 mm without bleeding on probing [BOP]; up to 2 sites with a PPD from 3.6 mm to 5 mm and BOP or up to 4 sites with a PPD from 3.6 mm to 5 mm without BOP were accepted; BOP<or=14%) probands 23 to 44 years of age without any known actual infectious or inflammatory diseases were examined. Clinical parameters and blood samples were obtained. The blood was analyzed for C-reactive protein (CRP), elastase, and leukocyte counts. Regression models were calculated to explain the variation of the dependent variables serum CRP, elastase, and leukocytes (independent variables: sex, age, PCR, BOP, smoking, PPD).

Results: The sample was characterized as: GBI: 2.9+/-2.0%; PCR: 14.9+/-8.2%; PPD: 2.0+/-0.2 mm; AL: 0.4+/-0.3 mm; BOP: 7.0+/-1.9%; leukocytes: 6.2+/-1.1/nl; (median/interquartile range) CRP: 0.062/0.04-0.107) mg/dl; elastase: 9.075/7.375-12.2 ng/ml. Inflammatory parameters were influenced by the following factors: CRP: female (p=0.008), PPD (p=0.15); elastase: female (p=0.002), PPD (p=0.005), BOP (p=0.141); leukocytes: female (p=0.061), pack years (p=0.061), PCR (p=0.082).

Conclusions: The levels of all investigated systemic inflammation parameters were higher in females than in males. Both serum CRP and elastase correlated even in periodontally healthy with mean PPD.