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Updated: Mar 26, 2026
A Mouse Model for Pathogen-induced Chronic Inflammation at Local and Systemic Sites
Published on: August 8, 2014
Association of thalassemia major and gingival inflammation: A pilot study
Pınar Gümüş1, Selda Kahraman-Çeneli2, Aliye Akcali1
1Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
Objectives:
This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between thalassemia major (TM) and gingival inflammation through the salivary, serum, and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP)-1.
Methods:
Biofluid samples and full-mouth clinical periodontal recordings were obtained from 29 otherwise healthy patients with TM and 25 systemically healthy (SH) individuals. Biofluid samples were evaluated by immunofluorometric assay (IFMA) and enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISAs). Data were tested statistically by Kolmogorov Simirnov, Mann-Whitney U tests, Spearman correlation analysis.
Results:
Age, smoking status, bleeding on probing, plaque index were similar in the study groups, but probing depth, gender data exhibited significant differences (p=0.037 for both). Salivary MMP-8, MMP-9, TIMP-1 concentrations were significantly higher in the TM than SH group (p=0.014; p<0.001; p=0.042, respectively). Serum TIMP-1 concentrations were significantly higher; MMP-8/TIMP-1, MMP-9/TIMP-1 molar ratios were significantly lower in the TM than SH group (p<0.001; p=0.005; p=0.022, respectively). Very few GCF samples revealed biochemical data above the detection limits. Numerous correlations were found between clinical periodontal parameters and biochemical data.
Conclusions:
It may be suggested that TM may exacerbate the local inflammatory response as manifested in salivary MMP-8, MMP-9, TIMP-1 levels.
