Markers of inflammation in periodontal diseases

Abstract

Periodontitis is a disease of chronic, progressive course and multifactorial etiology. Traditional diagnosis of periodontal disease is based on clinical and radiological examinations. However, clinical experience has shown that such diagnosis is not always sufficient. Numerous studies have attempted to identify - in gingival crevicular fluid, gingival tissue, saliva, and peripheral blood - various substances of both bacterial origin and derived from host cells, which would be pre-clinical indicators of disease progression. A certain level of such markers, or a change in their level within periodontium would be closely correlated with the severity of the disease. In order to determine that a given enzyme or cytokine may be a marker of inflammation, its role in both physiology and pathology of periodontal tissues should be thoroughly understood and analyzed. Currently, interleukin-1β, prostaglandin E2, elastase and metalloproteinase 8 are considered the most significant immunological indicators. Extending the diagnostic procedures and treatment monitoring by methods based on determination of the level of inflammatory mediators in gingival crevicular fluid or in saliva may facilitate diagnosis, increase treatment effectiveness, and provide data on the pathomechanism of periodontal diseases.