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Isolation, Processing and Analysis of Murine Gingival Cells
Published on: July 2, 2013
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Gingival Crevicular Fluid Proteomic Shift: From Gingivitis to Periodontitis
Jeong-Hun Mok1, Ji-Youn Hong2, MinJoong Joo3
1College of Pharmacy, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
International Dental Journal
|December 9, 2025
Summary
Proteomic analysis of gingival crevicular fluid reveals a shift from complement to neutrophil proteins as gingivitis progresses to periodontitis. This molecular transition aids in differentiating disease stages, offering improved diagnostic potential beyond current clinical markers.
Area of Science:
- Periodontal disease research
- Proteomics
- Molecular diagnostics
Background:
- Gingivitis and periodontitis are inflammatory conditions with differing severity and reversibility.
- Current clinical indicators for periodontal disease lack molecular specificity.
- Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) is an underutilized source for proteomic analysis in distinguishing periodontal disease stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate gingivitis from periodontitis using quantitative proteomics and network analysis of GCF.
- To identify distinct molecular signatures associated with each disease stage.
- To explore novel protein biomarkers for objective diagnosis and therapeutic targeting.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 72 GCF samples from healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis groups.
- Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for protein identification.
- Bioinformatic analyses including differential expression, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis.
Main Results:
- 649 proteins were identified in GCF.
- Proteins like RAC2 and S100A12 were significantly upregulated in periodontitis.
- WGCNA identified distinct modules: complement proteins in gingivitis and neutrophil proteins in periodontitis, indicating a complement-to-neutrophil shift.
- Hub proteins (e.g., LCN2, RAC2) showed potential as discriminatory markers.
Conclusions:
- Proteomic profiling of GCF reveals stage-specific molecular shifts in periodontal disease progression.
- The identified complement-to-neutrophil transition allows for differentiation between gingivitis and periodontitis.
- These proteomic markers offer objective molecular evidence for disease progression, potentially improving early intervention and treatment selection.
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