Altered Serum IL-10 Levels in Preeclamptic Women with Periodontitis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Preeclampsia (PE) affects 2%-8% of pregnancies globally and represents a significant maternal health challenge, characterized by new-onset hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation. Periodontal disease, defined as chronic inflammation affecting tooth-supporting structures, demonstrates a notably high prevalence among pregnant women. The objective of the present study was to compare serum inflammatory markers and periodontal status between preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women in a cross-sectional design.

Sixty pregnant women were recruited-30 preeclamptic and 30 normotensive-from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, K.S. Hegde Hospital, Mangalore. Oral health evaluations were performed during hospital admission for delivery or 48 h before planned delivery to assess periodontal status. Following the examination of oral health status, the normotensive and preeclamptic pregnant women were grouped as preeclamptic women with healthy periodontium (PH), preeclamptic women with periodontitis (PP), normotensive women with healthy periodontium (NH), and normotensive women with periodontitis (NP) to compare the serum cytokine levels and periodontal status among the subgroups. Periodontitis was defined as a clinical attachment level ≥3 mm in ≥30% of examined sites, assessed by a single calibrated examiner. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-4, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and IL-2 were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Group comparisons were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test with post hoc Bonferroni correction for cytokine data and one-way analysis of variance for periodontal parameters.

Periodontitis was significantly more prevalent in preeclamptic women (63.3%) compared to normotensive women (30%; P = 0.010). Serum IL-10 levels were significantly lower in the PP group (3.36 [3.06, 5.61] pg/mL) compared to the NH group (7.61 [3.52, 10.03] pg/mL) (P = 0.010, post hoc Bonferroni correction). Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-2, and IL-4 showed no statistically significant differences across subgroups.

In this cross-sectional study, periodontitis was associated with lower serum IL-10 levels in preeclamptic women, suggesting a possible immune dysregulation between periodontal disease and PE. A causal relationship cannot be established from the present observational data. These findings warrant further investigation through larger prospective longitudinal studies to establish temporality and causation.