Diagnostic potential of endothelin-1 in peri-implant diseases: a cross-sectional study

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a peptide derived from vascular endothelial cells, as a biomarker for diagnosing peri-implant diseases.

A cohort of 29 patients with a total of 76 implants was included in this study and subsequently divided into three groups based on peri-implant clinical parameters and radiographic examination: healthy (peri-implant health) (n = 29), mucositis (n = 22), and peri-implantitis (n = 25) groups. The levels of ET-1 (ρg/site) and interleukin (IL)-1β (ρg/site) in peri-implant sulcus fluid (PISF) samples were determined using enzyme immunoassay. Statistical analyses were conducted using Kruskal-Wallis and Steel-Dwass tests. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the biomarkers.

ET-1 levels were significantly elevated in the peri-implantitis group compared to those in the healthy group, and were highest in the peri-implant mucositis group. Additionally, IL-1β levels were significantly higher in the peri-implantitis group than those in the healthy group. ROC curve analysis indicated that ET-1 exhibited superior area under the curve values, sensitivity, and specificity compared to those of IL-1β.

Our findings suggest that the presence of ET-1 in PISF plays a role in peri-implant diseases. Its significantly increased expression in peri-implant mucositis indicates its potential for enabling earlier and more accurate assessments of peri-implant inflammation when combined with conventional examination methods.