Local IL-10 level as a predictive factor in generalized aggressive periodontitis treatment response

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Immunology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP) often shows limited efficacy with non-surgical treatments.
• Predictors for treatment response in GAgP, including clinical, microbiological, and immunological factors, remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the predictive value of baseline clinical, microbiological, and immunological characteristics on the therapeutic response in GAgP patients.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-four GAgP patients were assessed for clinical parameters, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), and subgingival biofilm.
• Bacterial levels (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia) were quantified via qPCR.
• IL-1β and IL-10 concentrations in GCF were measured using ELISA.
• Patients received either scaling and root planing (SRP) or SRP plus antibiotics (amoxicillin/metronidazole).
• Clinical outcomes (Probing Pocket Depth reduction, Clinical Attachment Level gain) were evaluated at 6 months and correlated with baseline data.

Main Results:

• Both SRP and SRP + antibiotics improved PPD and CAL, with SRP + antibiotics showing a statistically significant PPD reduction (P < .05).
• In the SRP-only group, higher baseline IL-10 levels in GCF significantly correlated with greater PPD reduction at 6 months (P = .01, r = .68).
• This IL-10 predictive value was not observed in the SRP + antibiotics group, suggesting an overlap effect of antimicrobial therapy.

Conclusions:

• Gingival crevicular fluid IL-10 concentration serves as a valuable predictor of clinical treatment response in GAgP patients undergoing non-surgical therapy.
• Adjunctive antibiotic use in SRP may attenuate the influence of the host's inflammatory response, specifically IL-10, on treatment outcomes.