A Comparative Study on Calprotectin Concentration in Periodontitis Patients Before and After Non-surgical Periodontal Therapy

TL;DR

This study found that calprotectin levels in the gum fluid of periodontitis patients decrease after non-surgical treatment, suggesting it could be a useful diagnostic and treatment response marker.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that calprotectin in gingival crevicular fluid can serve as a biomarker for periodontitis and treatment response.

Findings

Calprotectin levels in GCF were significantly higher in periodontitis patients compared to healthy subjects.

Non-surgical periodontal therapy significantly reduced calprotectin levels in GCF after three months.

Calprotectin in GCF may be a useful biomarker for assessing treatment response in periodontitis.

Abstract

Introduction

Numerous inflammatory mediators exist in body secretions like gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) during periodontitis. One such inflammatory mediator is calprotectin, a protein which is released from leukocytes and other inflammatory cells.

Aims

This study aimed to compare the concentration of calprotectin in the GCF of individuals with and without periodontitis, as well as in the GCF, serum, and saliva of periodontitis patients before and after non-surgical periodontal therapy.

Materials and methods

Subjects were categorized into two groups: Group A included 40 healthy subjects without periodontitis and Group B included 40 subjects with stage 2 grade B periodontitis subjects. Clinical parameters along with calprotectin concentration in both groups were recorded at baseline and compared. All subjects in Group B received non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). Three months following therapy, periodontal parameters and calprotectin concentrations in GCF, serum, and saliva were re-assessed, and a comparison was made with the values obtained before therapy.

Results

At baseline, inter-group comparison revealed that the calprotectin levels in GCF of Group A subjects were significantly lower than Group B subjects. On intra-group comparison within Group B subjects, three months following NSPT, there was a reduction in the concentration of calprotectin in GCF, which was statistically significant.

Conclusion

Calprotectin in GCF can serve as a diagnostic biomarker and maybe used to assess the response to treatment.