Patients with dental calculus have increased saliva and gingival crevicular fluid fetuin-A levels but no association with fetuin-A polymorphisms

ABSTRACT: Fetuin-A is a potent inhibitor of calcium-phosphate precipitation and of the calcification process, therefore it can also be related with dental calculus. Thus, we aimed to investigate a possible relationship between fetuin-A gene polymorphism and the presence of dental calculus. A possible relationship between serum, saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of fetuin-A was also investigated. Fetuin-A c.742C > T and c.766C > G polymorphisms were investigated in 103 patients with or without dental calculus. Additionally, serum, saliva and GCF fetuin-A levels of patients were compared according to dental calculus presence. A significant difference was not observed in the distribution of the fetuin-A c.742C > T and c.766C > G polymorphisms between patients with or without dental calculus. Saliva and GCF fetuin-A concentrations of patients with dental calculus were statistically higher than those without dental calculus (P=0.001, P=0.036 respectively). According to our results, fetuin-A c.742C > T and c.766C > G polymorphisms were not associated with presence of dental calculus. However, higher GCF and saliva fetuin-A levels were detected in patients with dental calculus than in patients without dental calculus, which may result from an adaptive mechanism to inhibit mineral precipitation and eventually calculus formation.

Juveniles versus adults: differences in PGE2 levels in the gingival crevicular fluid during orthodontic tooth movement

This study aimed to investigate age-related changes in the biosynthetic capacity of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) during one month of orthodontic treatment. Twenty-five juvenile subjects (mean age 13 ± 2.1 years) and 23 adults (mean age 24 ± 2.1 years) were included. GCF was collected immediately before the force application at the baseline, 2, 21 and 28 days, with periopaper inserted into the gingival crevice of the maxillary lateral incisors. The mediator levels were determined with an EIA kit. The results showed that the PGE2 concentrations were significantly elevated from the baseline to 21 days (129.35 and 198.84 pg/µL, p = 0.0169) in juvenile subjects and reduced from 21 to 28 days (198.84 to 112.60 pg/µL, p = 0.0032). Adults, however, had no significant changes in the PGE2 levels. The total amounts of PGE2 from both groups changed between the baseline to 21 and 21 to 28 days (p = 0.0119 and p = 0.0076, respectively). The PGE2 initial and final levels showed significant differences between the juveniles and adults, being higher in adults (baseline: juvenile = 129.35 pg/µL vs. adult = 163.20 pg/µL, p = 0.0379; t3: juvenile = 112.60 pg/µL and adult = 175.30 pg/µL, p = 0.0005). In conclusion, the results demonstrate the presence of variation in the PGE2 levels according to age and the orthodontic activation period, which can explain why the speed of orthodontics treatment may be different in adults vs. juveniles.

Fluido intersticial en estadios clínicos de patología periapical crónica / Crevicular fluid in clinical stages of chronic periapical pathology

Se intentó correlacionar el momento evolutivo de la patología periapical crónica (PPC) de origen pulpar, mediante la valoración cuantitativa de fluido intersticial. En 88 pacientes se introdujo un cono de papel No.30 hasta 1 mm. del extremo apical en las piezas dentarias afectadas, inmediatamente después de la apertura del conducto radicular. Mediante un higrómetro electrónico se obtuvo la cantidad relativa de líquido embebido en el cono de papel. Los valores se dividieron en cuatro estadios. 1: estado de equilibrio, promedio 5,44; 2: estado inflamación leve, promedio 21,29; 3: estado inflamación moderada, promedio 42,73; 4: estado inflamación severa, promedio 98,71. La cantidad de fluido intersticial varía cuantitativamente de acuerdo con el momento evolutivo de la PPC, pudiendo ser proporcional a la gravedad de la lesión