Abstract
Objective: This case-control study aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of salivary interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, and IL-1β/IL-10 ratio to discriminate periodontitis from periodontal health and stable from unstable periodontitis. Methods: Saliva samples were collected from 135 (healthy on an intact periodontium = 45 [as healthy control], stable periodontitis = 39, and unstable periodontitis = 51) participants, and then clinical periodontal parameters were recorded. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine salivary levels of IL-1β and IL-10. Area under the curves (AUCs), sensitivity, and specificity of IL-1β, IL-10, and IL-1β/IL-10 were estimated to discriminate between groups. Result: The level of salivary IL-1β was significantly higher in unstable periodontitis than in stable periodontitis and healthy control groups (426 ± 59, 247 ± 55, and 204 ± 36 pg/ml [picograms per milliliter], respectively). While the level of salivary IL-10 was significantly higher in the control group (360.7 ± 80.5 pg/ml) than unstable periodontitis group (146.92 ± 1.8 pg/ml), no significant difference was found between the control and stable periodontitis (317.04 ± 59.8 pg/ml) groups. IL-1β, IL-10, and IL-1β/IL-10 had significant diagnostic accuracy for differentiating healthy control from unstable periodontitis (AUCs = 0.99, 0.96, and 1; sensitivity = 0.98,1, and 1; specificity = 0.95, 0.95, and 1, respectively). Similarly, they showed significant diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing unstable from stable periodontitis (AUCs = 0.98, 0.99, and 1; sensitivity = 0.94, 1, and 1; specificity = 0.94, 0.97, and 1, respectively). Conclusion: Salivary IL-1β, IL-10, and IL-1β/IL-10 have a high potential to discriminate healthy control from periodontitis and stable from unstable periodontitis. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05722613.