Systemic Biomarkers in 2-Phase Antibiotic Periodontal Treatment: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Immunology
• Systemic Health

Background:

• Periodontal infections are linked to systemic health issues.
• Untreated periodontitis is associated with elevated serum inflammatory markers.
• The impact of periodontal treatment on these markers requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of nonsurgical and surgical periodontal treatment on peak serum inflammatory marker levels.
• To assess the influence of adjunctive antibiotics during different treatment phases.
• To determine the long-term changes in inflammatory markers post-treatment.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked clinical trial involving 80 patients with periodontitis.
• Patients received nonsurgical therapy (phase 1) and surgical therapy (phase 2), with antibiotics administered during either phase.
• Serum samples were analyzed for 15 cytokines and 9 acute-phase proteins at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment.

Main Results:

• Nonsurgical periodontal therapy significantly reduced the incidence of peak inflammatory marker levels.
• The reduction in peak markers was observed irrespective of adjunctive antibiotic use.
• Surgical therapy and antibiotics did not provide additional significant benefits in reducing these markers.

Conclusions:

• Initial nonsurgical periodontal therapy is effective in lowering systemic inflammation associated with periodontitis.
• Adjunctive antibiotics and subsequent surgical interventions do not appear to enhance the reduction of inflammatory markers.
• Periodontal treatment plays a crucial role in mitigating systemic inflammatory responses.