Microbiological Effects of Sodium Hypochlorite/-Amino Acids and Cross-linked Hyaluronic Acid Adjunctive to Non-surgical Periodontal Treatment

PURPOSE

To investigate the microbiological outcomes obtained with either subgingival debridement (SD) in conjunction with a gel containing sodium hypochlorite and amino acids followed by subsequent application of a cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel (xHyA) gel, or with SD alone.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-eight patients diagnosed with stages II-III (grades A/B) generalised periodontitis were randomly treated with either SD (control) or SD plus adjunctive sodium hypochlorite/amino acids and xHyA gel (test). Subgingival plaque samples were collected from the deepest site per quadrant in each patient at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. Pooled sample analysis was performed using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method for the identification of detection frequencies and changes in numbers of the following bacteria: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A.a), Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g), Tannerella forsythia (T.f), Treponema denticola (T.d), and Prevotella intermedia (P.i).

RESULTS

In terms of detection frequency, in the test group, statistically significant reductions were found for P.g, T.f, T.d and P.i (p < 0.05) after 6 months. In the control group, the detection frequencies of all investigated bacterial species at 6 months were comparable to the baseline values (p > 0.05). The comparison of the test and control groups revealed statistically significant differences in detection frequency for P.g (p = 0.034), T.d (p < 0.01) and P.i (p = 0.02) after 6 months, favouring the test group. Regarding reduction in detection frequency scores, at 6 months, statistically significant differences in favour of the test group were observed for all investigated bacterial species: A.a (p = 0.028), P.g (p = 0.028), T.f (p = 0.004), T.d (p <0.001), and P.i (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

The present microbiological results, which are related to short-term outcomes up to 6 months post-treatment, support the adjunctive subgingival application of sodium hypochlorite/amino acids and xHyA to subgingival debridement in the treatment of periodontitis.

Is there any difference between preeclamptic and healthy pregnant women regarding the presence of periopathogenic bacteria in the placenta?

BACKGROUND

Preeclampsia is an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality with unclear cause. It is believed that inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory infectious condition which commonly involves humans. Recently, chronic infection was linked to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis shares some histopathologic features with uteroplacental atherosis of preeclamptic women. This study was aimed to investigate the presence of periopathogenic bacteria in the placental tissue of preeclamptic women, and compare it with women with normal pregnancy.

METHODS

Samples were obtained from 23 placentas of preeclamptic women and from 23 age-matched healthy pregnant women. Qualitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the presence of five periopathogenic bacteria.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the relative frequency of women with different types of periopathogenic bacterial infection of the placenta. In addition, there was no significant difference in the number of women with any type of infection of the placenta (regardless of the type of periopathogenic bacteria) [14 (61%) mothers with placental infection in the case group vs. 18 (78%) mothers in the control group, P value = 0.16].

CONCLUSIONS

This study did not show any significant difference between preeclamptic women and healthy women with normal pregnancy regarding the periopathogenic bacterial profile of the placenta.