Periodontitis beyond the gums
In the PerioGene North study published in the Journal of Dental Research, researchers examined the serum levels of proteins in 478 patients with severe periodontitis and 509 patients without the disease between 2007 and 2019.
The researchers discovered significant differences in the levels of certain inflammation-related and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein between the patients with and without periodontitis. For instance, high levels of hs-CRP and MMP-12 as well as low levels of epidermal growth factor and oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 were associated with periodontitis.
Further, high CCL-19, CSF-3, TNFSF-10 and IL-17 levels correlated with gingival inflammation and a high degree of pocket probing depth.
The findings suggested that these inflammation-related serum proteins may hold the potential to serve as novel therapeutic targets. The researchers concluded that further studies are needed to better understand the mechanistic role these proteins may play in periodontal inflammation, tissue breakdown and healing.
Read more: Journal of Dental Research
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