Microbial biomarkers as a predictor of periodontal treatment response: A systematic review.

To evaluate the prognostic accuracy of microbial biomarkers and their associations with the response to active periodontal treatment (APT) and supportive periodontal therapy (SPT). Microbial dysbiosis plays a crucial role in the disease processes of periodontitis. Biomarkers based on microbial composition may offer additional prognostic value, supplementing the limitations of current clinical parameters. While these microbial biomarkers have been clinically evaluated, there is a lack of consensus regarding their prognostic accuracy. A structured search strategy was applied to MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, and Embase on 1/11/2022 to identify relevant publications. Prospective clinical studies involving either APT or SPT, with at least 3-month follow-up were included. There were no restrictions on the type of microbial compositional analysis. 1918 unique records were retrieved, and 13 studies (comprising 943 adult patients) were included. Heterogeneity of the studies precluded a meta-analysis, and none of the included studies had performed the sequence analysis of the periodontal microbiome. Seven and six studies reported on response to APT and SPT, respectively. The prognostic accuracy of the microbial biomarkers for APT and SPT was examined in only two and four studies, respectively. Microbial biomarkers had limited predictive accuracy for APT and inconsistent associations for different species across studies. For SPT, elevated abundance of periodontal pathogens at the start of SPT was predictive of subsequent periodontal progression. Similarly, persistent high pathogen loads were consistently associated with progressive periodontitis, defined as an increased pocket probing depth or clinical attachment loss. While there was insufficient evidence to support the clinical use of microbial biomarkers as prognostic tools for active periodontal treatment outcomes, biomarkers that quantify periodontal pathogen loads may offer prognostic value for predicting progressive periodontitis in the subsequent supportive periodontal therapy phase. Additional research will be required to translate information regarding subgingival biofilm composition and phenotype into clinically relevant prognostic tools.

Toll-like receptor-4 activation by subgingival biofilm and periodontal treatment response.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate longitudinally the activation of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) by subgingival biofilm samples before and after nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty periodontitis patients received NSPT and were reviewed 3 and 6 months post-treatment. Subgingival biofilm was sampled from 4 teeth per patient, at baseline and each follow-up time point. TLR-4 activation was determined using the HEK-BLUE™/hTLR4 system. Changes in TLR-4 activation and probing pocket depths (PPDs) were evaluated using generalised linear models, and the association between TLR-4 activation and pocket reduction (defined as 6-month PPDs ≤ 3mm) was determined using generalised estimating equations. RESULTS: At 6 months, the mean TLR-4 activation by subgingival biofilm samples was significantly reduced from 11.2AU (95%CI 7.1AU, 15.4AU) to 3.6AU (95%CI 2.3AU, 4.8AU, p < 0.001), paralleling significant reductions in mean PPDs at sampled sites. The response to NSPT was associated with longitudinal TLR-4 activation profiles, with significantly higher TLR-4 activation by subgingival biofilm obtained from sites that did not achieve pocket reduction, compared to sites at which pocket reduction was achieved. CONCLUSIONS: The activation of TLR-4 by subgingival biofilm samples was reduced after NSPT, and this reduction was significantly associated with the clinical improvements (PPD reductions) at sampled sites. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study demonstrated an association between the longitudinal profile of TLR-4 activation by subgingival biofilm and periodontal treatment response. Longitudinal monitoring of TLR-4 activation by subgingival biofilm may potentially identify non-responsive sites, enabling targeted additional treatment.

Rodent peri-implantitis models: a systematic review and meta-analysis of morphological changes.

PURPOSE: Rodent models have emerged as an alternative to established larger animal models for peri-implantitis research. However, the construct validity of rodent models is controversial due to a lack of consensus regarding their histological, morphological, and biochemical characteristics. This systematic review sought to validate rodent models by characterizing their morphological changes, particularly marginal bone loss (MBL), a hallmark of peri-implantitis. METHODS: This review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A literature search was performed electronically using MEDLINE (PubMed), and Embase, identifying pre-clinical studies reporting MBL after experimental peri-implantitis induction in rodents. Each study's risk of bias was assessed using the Systematic Review Center for Laboratory animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) risk of bias tool. A meta-analysis was performed for the difference in MBL, comparing healthy implants to those with experimental peri-implantitis. RESULTS: Of the 1,014 unique records retrieved, 23 studies that met the eligibility criteria were included. Peri-implantitis was induced using 4 methods: ligatures, lipopolysaccharide, microbial infection, and titanium particles. Studies presented high to unclear risks of bias. During the osseointegration phase, 11.6% and 6.4%-11.3% of implants inserted in mice and rats, respectively, had failed to osseointegrate. Twelve studies were included in the meta-analysis of the linear MBL measured using micro-computed tomography. Following experimental peri-implantitis, the MBL was estimated to be 0.25 mm (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14-0.36 mm) in mice and 0.26 mm (95% CI, 0.19-0.34 mm) in rats. The resulting peri-implant MBL was circumferential, consisting of supra- and infrabony components. CONCLUSIONS: Experimental peri-implantitis in rodent models results in circumferential MBL, with morphology consistent with the clinical presentation of peri-implantitis. While rodent models are promising, there is still a need to further characterize their healing potentials, standardize experiment protocols, and improve the reporting of results and methodology. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO Identifier: CRD42020209776.

Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young and Generalized Stage III Grade C Periodontitis: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a rare form of diabetes mellitus resulting from single nucleotide polymorphisms. There is a lack of evidence describing their periodontal condition and the management of these patients. The objective of this case report is to present the 6-month outcomes following non-surgical periodontal treatment of a patient diagnosed with MODY 5, the Renal Cyst and Diabetes Syndrome. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report describes the periodontal presentation and non-surgical management of a 21-year-old patient, diagnosed with hyperglycemia (HbA1c >14%) and stage 4 chronic kidney disease. She presented with generalized severe chronic periodontitis and multiple periodontal abscesses. She was treated with quadrant debridement with adjunctive systemic amoxicillin and metronidazole and 0.2% chlorhexidine mouth rinse. Significant improvement was observed after treatment, remaining stable 6-month post-treatment, with only two sites with probing depths ≥5 mm. This was consistent with a reduction of the periodontal inflamed surface area from 3165 to 500 mm2 . HbA1c was also reduced to 8.7% 6 months after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: MODY patients presenting with periodontitis can be successfully treated non-surgically, concurrent with diabetic management.