Periodontal disease in acute coronary syndrome patients.

PURPOSE: This pilot study assessed the periodontal status and biomarkers of systemic inflammation in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. METHODS: 15 ACS patients on statin (anti-cholesterol) therapy, were recruited into the study an average of 9 months after discharge from university hospital. Blood and mouthrinse samples were collected for analysis of inflammatory biomarkers including high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and MMP-9. Full-mouth periodontal examination, including pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment levels (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), and tooth mobility, was performed. RESULTS: When their periodontal status was assessed by CAL, 100% of these statin-treated ACS patients exhibited moderate (66.7%) to severe (33.3%) periodontal disease, which appears to be higher than the rate described for the general adult population (i.e., 47% for periodontitis). In addition, (1) their blood hsCRP levels ranged from 0.94 to 12.6 mg/L with a mean of 3.41 mg/L, which is considered high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in spite of their statin therapy, and (2) the data demonstrated a positive correlation between severe periodontitis and elevated blood hsCRP levels (P< 0.05), consistent with systemic inflammation. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This pilot study provides preliminary data for future large-scale studies to define the relationship between ACS and chronic periodontitis, the underlying mechanisms, and the potential therapeutic efficacy of appropriate periodontal management to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Efficacy of sub-antimicrobial dose doxycycline in post-menopausal women: clinical outcomes.

AIMS: To determine the clinical efficacy of a 2-year continuous sub-antimicrobial dose doxycycline (SDD; 20 mg bid) in post-menopausal, osteopenic, oestrogen-deficient women on periodontal maintenance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One-hundred and twenty-eight subjects were randomized to SDD (n=64) or placebo (n=64). Clinical measurements were performed at posterior interproximal sites at baseline and every 6 months during this 2-year randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with adjunctive, no-cost 3-4-month periodontal maintenance. Statistical analyses of secondary outcomes from this clinical trial used Generalized Estimating Equations in primarily intent-to-treat analyses. RESULTS: For the placebo group, 3.4% of the sites showed improvement in clinical attachment levels (CAL) and 2.7% had progressive loss in CAL; for the SDD group, 5.0% of the sites showed an improvement in CAL and 2.2% had progressive loss in CAL. This difference (2.1% of sites) was more favourable in the SDD group than in the placebo [odds ratio (OR)=0.81 [corrected] 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67-0.97, p=0.03] in these well-maintained patients, whereas probing depths, bleeding on probing and supragingival plaque did not differ significantly between groups (p>0.2). However, in exploratory subgroup analysis of non-smokers, SDD showed reduced bleeding versus placebo (27%versus 33%; p=0.05). In protocol-adherent subjects, the odds of bleeding were 34% lower for SDD (p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Analyses of secondary outcomes of this clinical trial indicated that SDD may be of benefit in reducing progressive attachment loss in post-menopausal females; additional research is needed to confirm these findings. Protocol registered at (ClinicalTrials.gov). Identifier:NCT00066027.