Abstract
Background: Soluble Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 1 (sTREM-1) belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily, and is involved in the amplification of the inflammatory response to bacterial infection. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the levels of sTREM-1 in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of non-periodontitis subjects and patients with chronic periodontitis (CP) or generalized aggressive periodontitis (G-AgP), and their association with the levels of key periodontal pathogens in subgingival plaque. Methods: GCF and subgingival plaque samples were obtained from healthy sites of non-periodontitis individuals (n=20), and periodontitis sites of CP (n=22) and G-AgP (n=20) patients. sTREM-1 levels in GCF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans levels in subgingival plaque were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: sTREM-1 levels in GCF were higher in CP and G-AgP than healthy sites, by 3.7-fold and 4.5-fold, respectively, with no significant differences between the two forms of periodontitis. Moreover, sTREM-1 levels in GCF positively correlated with site-specific clinical periodontal parameters, and levels of P. gingivalis, T. denticola, T. forsythia, but not A. actinomycetemcomitans, in subgingival plaque. Conclusions: The increased GCF levels of sTREM-1 at diseased sites and their positive correlation with clinical and microbiological parameters strengthen the association of this inflammatory marker with periodontitis.
Belibasakis, Georgios N