Novel biomarker in periodontal therapy outcomes uncovered

A novel biomarker may help assess responses to nonsurgical periodontal therapy.

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, the researchers collected inflammatory biomarkers from the venous blood and gingival crevicular fluid samples of 209 patients undergoing nonsurgical reinstrumentation following steps I and II periodontal therapy — with the goal of determining the benefit of the treatment. They examined the samples for active matrix metalloproteinase-8, prostaglandin E2 and surfactant protein D.

The researchers discovered that the patients who had high levels of plasma surfactant protein D had more favorable treatment outcomes of four or fewer sites with pocket depth of ≥ five millimeters following steps I and II of treatment.

The findings highlighted a potential biomarker to predict which patients may respond to nonsurgical periodontal therapy.

Read more: Journal of Clinical Periodontology

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