Relationship between iron-deficiency anemia and periodontal status in female patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate the periodontal status of patients with iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) and the correlation of changes in serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) ferritin levels after periodontal therapy.

Nineteen female patients with anemic hematologic values were classified as group A, and 20 healthy females with normal hematologic values were classified as group B. After group A was recruited, group B was enrolled with patients who had similar gingival indices as group A. At baseline and the 3-month follow-up visit, clinical periodontal indices and hematologic parameters were recorded, and GCF samples were taken. All patients received an oral hygiene-improvement session followed by scaling, and sites with >4-mm probing depths received root planing. At the 3-month follow-up visit, all measurements and analyses were repeated.

During the follow-up period, all clinical indices decreased in both groups (P <0.05), but the gingival index in group A did not change. The GCF ferritin concentration showed statistically significant decreases (P <0.05), but total amounts of ferritin in GCF did not change. No significant correlation was found between serum and GCF ferritin levels.

The findings of this study showed that changes in serum ferritin levels did not correlate with the GCF ferritin levels, and IDA was not a direct risk factor for periodontal diseases.