Effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on serum ferritin levels: an interventional study

Ferritin, an acute-phase reactant, has been found to be elevated in many chronic inflammation-related diseases. The aim of the present study is to investigate differences in concentrations of serum ferritin in patients with and without periodontal disease before and after non-surgical periodontal therapy and correlate these values with clinical variables associated with periodontal disease.

Forty-two individuals were included in this study, 20 with chronic periodontitis (CP) and 22 classified as periodontally healthy. Serum ferritin concentrations, hemoglobin levels, and periodontal parameters (probing depth [PD], clinical attachment level, gingival index, bleeding on probing, and plaque index) were recorded at baseline and 3 months after non-surgical periodontal therapy.

Patients with CP showed higher concentrations of serum ferritin than periodontally healthy controls (P <0.01). After adjustment for confounders, a positive and significant correlation was observed between serum ferritin levels and the number of sites with PD ≥ 6 mm at baseline (P <0.01). Regression analyses revealed association between deep pockets and serum ferritin levels at baseline (R(2) = 0.823). Significant reductions in serum ferritin levels were observed at the 3-month assessment after periodontal treatment (P <0.01), and the post-treatment serum ferritin values were comparable to those of controls (P >0.05). Furthermore, the post-treatment degree of change in the serum ferritin level was positively and significantly associated with improvement in PD (R(2) = 0.213, P <0.05).

Serum ferritin levels are raised in patients with CP and decrease to control levels post-treatment.