Salivary antioxidants as periodontal biomarkers in evaluation of tissue status and treatment outcome

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

One of the major pathologic patterns in periodontitis represents an imbalance among the production of free radicals and local antioxidants resulting in periodontal tissue destruction. The objective of the study was to investigate the influence of non-surgical periodontal treatment on salivary antioxidants and to evaluate their capacity as biomarkers reflecting periodontal tissue condition and therapy outcome.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sixty-three systemically healthy non-smokers, including 21 periodontally healthy subjects (HC) and 42 patients with current chronic periodontitis fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Half of the patients received scaling and root planing (SRP) and the other half received only oral hygiene instructions. Full mouth clinical measurements, including gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment level and saliva sampling were performed at baseline visit and 2 mo after treatment/baseline visit. Total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), albumins (ALB), uric acid (UA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) were evaluated in saliva samples using commercial kits.

RESULTS

All measured antioxidants were affected by treatment resulting in significant increase in TAOC (p < 0.005), ALB (p < 0.001), UA (p < 0.001) and GPX (p < 0.001) and decrease of SOD (p < 0.005) in response to SRP, where no differences were observed for any of parameters in the oral hygiene instructions group. Comparison of antioxidant levels between the HC and SRP group showed that before treatment ALB were significantly higher in HC when compared to the SRP group (p = 0.039), and GXP (p = 0.000) and SOD (p = 0.021) levels were significantly higher in the SRP group. Comparison of values after treatment showed that TAOC was significantly higher in the HC than in the SRP group (p = 0.001), but UA was, inversely, significantly higher in the SRP group (p = 0.034). All clinical parameters except clinical attachment level were significantly decreased after SRP and significant correlations were observed between SOD and GI (p = 0.017), SOD and PI (p = 0.011), GPX and GI (p = 0.003) and GPX and PI (p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION

Non-surgical periodontal treatment affected salivary TAOC, ALB, UA, SOD and GPX; moreover, these biochemical parameters convincingly reflected periodontal status and tissue response on treatment.

Bacillary angiomatosis triggered by severe trauma in a healthy Caucasian patient: A case report

Bacillary angiomatosis represents a cutaneous and systemic infection caused by Bartonella species, typically described in the past in HIV-positive patients or associated with immunodeficiencies. More recent case reports had brought into attention the probability that this entity may manifest in otherwise healthy individuals, triggered by trauma and skin burns. The physiopathology of this neoproliferative process is based on the production of angiogenetic molecules, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and IL-8. In case of an inadequate treatment, the evolution can be fatal, with a systemic dissemination of the abscesses within the gastro-intestinal tract, respiratory tract, brain and bones. The appropriate therapy is with oral erythromycin and doxycycline, but several treatments such as cephalosporins, penicillins, macrolides, aminoglycosides, rifampin, dapsone, ciprofloxacin, have been tried with favorable results. Herein we present the case of a Caucasian patient, seronegative for HIV, who developed multiple vascular papules and nodules on the face, after a severe trauma and which healed after an adequate antibiotic therapy with oral clarithromycin.