Association between lipoxin A4 and interleukin-12 in gingival crevicular fluid: a preliminary investigation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The balance between host proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune responses is a key determinant for the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. This study aimed to explore the possibility of an association between lipoxin A4 and interleukin-12 in chronic periodontitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-five patients with chronic periodontitis and 45 periodontally healthy patients were included in this case-control study. Plaque index, calculus index, gingival index, sulcus bleeding index, full-mouth probing depth and clinical attachment loss were recorded. Gingival crevicular fluid samples were collected and analysed for interleukin-12 and lipoxin A4 using ELISA. RESULTS: The mean concentration of lipoxin A4 was lower in the periodontitis group compared with the periodontally healthy group. There was a negative correlation between interleukin-12 and lipoxin A4 in both groups. There was a negative correlation between clinical attachment loss and lipoxin A4, and a positive correlation between clinical attachment loss and interleukin-12. However, the correlations were statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: The mean interleukin-12 concentration was significantly higher in gingival crevicular fluid from patients with periodontitis than in that from with healthy patients, and the mean lipoxin A4 concentration was lower in patients with periodontitis than in healthy patients. Lipoxin A4 possibly has an inhibitory effect on interleukin-12.

Association between long-term aspirin use and periodontal attachment level in humans: a cross-sectional investigation.

BACKGROUND: Pharmaceutical inhibition of host response pathways may be an adjunctive or alternative strategy for treating periodontal diseases. In addition to inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, aspirin is known to modify the action of cyclo-oxygenase, changing its activity to a lipoxygenase and leading to formation of lipoxins which have a proresolving effect. This study evaluated the periodontal attachment level of subjects on long-term low dose aspirin therapy. METHODS: Oral hygiene index simplified, clinical attachment loss and bleeding index were recorded for 162 subjects who were on long-term (>6 months) low dose (75 mg and 150 mg) aspirin therapy (study group) and 146 subjects not taking the drug (control group). RESULTS: Mean clinical attachment loss was 2.38 ± 0.49 mm in the control group and 2.01 ± 0.69 mm in the study group. The difference was statistically significant at p < 0.001. Correlation analysis suggested that there was a negative correlation between clinical attachment loss and duration of aspirin intake but the clinical attachment loss was not significantly different in the two dosage groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that low dose aspirin may reduce the risk of periodontal attachment loss. This hypothesis needs to be tested by larger sample sized prospective cohort studies.

Clinical evaluation of guided tissue regeneration procedure in the treatment of grade II mandibular molar furcations.

The management of furcation defects remains a challenge in periodontal therapy, Traditionally, furcation therapy involved scaling, rootplaning, furcation plasty and resective techniques. The purpose of this study was to clinically evaluate the potential of guided tissue regeneration in the treatment of mandibular molar grade II furcations using a nonresorbable barrier, TefGen-GTR and compare it with open flap debridement alone. Ten patients with similar bilateral grade II furcation lesions participated in the study. TefGen-GTR was placed in the experimental sites while the contralateral sites served as controls. Treatment effects were evaluated at six months reentry. Both groups showed gain in vertical and horizontal open probing attachment and defect depth reduction when compared to baseline values, with experimental sites showing statistically significant improvement over the controls. The results suggest that the nonresorbable Teflon barrier, TefGen-GTR, may be used as an alternative for treatment of grade II furcation invasions.

Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis: report of 4 cases from Saudi Arabia.

Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis is a newly recognized clinical entity of chronic rhinosinusitis. Over the past 3 years, 4 such patients were treated in our hospital. The clinical and pathological features of these 4 cases which merited the criteria for such diagnosis, are described. All the 4 cases had history of nasal polyps, asthma, or both with radiographical evidence of pansinusitis. Histologically, the thick greenish-brown inspissated material specimens which were collected and submitted to the laboratory showed, eosinophils, Charcot-Leyden crystals but no fungal elements were detected on routine hematoxylin and eosin sections and no tissue invasion was noted. However, scanty aspergillus hyphae were detected on sections stained with silver. All 4 cases grew Aspergillus flavus only from the swabs and no other fungi were seen and all were treated by surgical debridement, aeration, oral itraconazole with no steroids.