This response produces high levels of cytokinessmall proteins that signal the immune systemin the inflamed gums, especially pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-8, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα. Periodontal disease is also associated with systemic conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.
Scientists believe that gum inflammation contributes to these conditions through both indirect pathways (cytokines boosting systemic inflammation) and direct pathways (cytokines traveling to a specific organ like the heart or brain), but studying this is difficult due to the challenge of measuring cytokines in the fluid found deep in the pockets in the gums.
Advertisement
Fortunately, cytokines are also found in the saliva, which is easier to collect. In this study, the researchers wanted to know if clinically detected gum inflammation could predict the level of cytokines found in saliva.
Salivary Cytokines: Window to Molecular Make-up of the Oral Environment
Researchers evaluated the gums and saliva of 67 adults, ages 45 and older, who had some degree of periodontal disease but were otherwise healthy. To measure their clinical gum inflammation, the researchers used a formula called the Periodontal Inflamed Surface Area (PISA).
This formula is calculated using measurements of the depth of pockets in the gums and bleeding upon probing. PISA provides a single measure of periodontal inflammation; a higher PISA score indicates worse inflammation.
Participants were also asked to spit into sterile tubes to capture saliva samples, which were then analyzed to measure a range of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines: IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, TNF-α, and IL-10. Researchers used two different ways (the Cytokine Component Index and Composite Inflammatory Index) to combine these cytokines into a single score.
They found that PISA scores were significantly associated with the new cytokine scores, independent of other factors including age, gender, smoking, and body mass index (BMI). The higher the cytokine score, the greater the periodontal inflammation. This demonstrates that a single score encompassing several salivary cytokines correlates with the severity of periodontal inflammation.
But more research is needed to validate the cytokine score in patients with different health conditions, as well as those with all levels of periodontal disease, including healthy gums and early-stage gum disease.
However, if the cytokine score is validated in larger and more diverse patient populations, it could be used to better understand periodontal disease progression and recurrence, as well as the potential connection to other systemic conditions.
Source: Eurekalert
Source link
#Track #Gum #Disease #Cytokine #Score #Saliva
