Conclusions
This study indicates that Hb examination is a promising candidate marker of pre-symptomatic periodontal disease because Hb presence in GCF suggests slight tissue damage, even in healthy sites defined as BOP (-). Clinical relevance: Hb examination of GCF is a powerful diagnostic tool for pre-symptomatic diagnosis of periodontal disease.
Methods
GCF was collected from gingival sulci of 152 sound maxillary and mandibular teeth from 76 patients who had entered supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) using the split-mouth design. As clinical parameters, plaque index, GCF amount, gingival index, probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level, BOP, and alveolar bone resorption ratio were then recorded. As biochemical parameters, Hb amount, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and protein amount in GCF were measured. Periodontal conditions of diseased sites (PD ≥ 4 mm, BOP (+)) and healthy sites (PD ≤ 4 mm, BOP (-)) were further classified into two groups using the Hb cutoff value determined by PD and BOP and analyzed.
Results
Despite being healthy, ALP activity and protein amount in sulci of the group with Hb level greater than the cutoff value were significantly higher than those in the group with Hb level less than the cutoff value (P < 0.01). Conclusions: This study indicates that Hb examination is a promising candidate marker of pre-symptomatic periodontal disease because Hb presence in GCF suggests slight tissue damage, even in healthy sites defined as BOP (-). Clinical relevance: Hb examination of GCF is a powerful diagnostic tool for pre-symptomatic diagnosis of periodontal disease.