Effect of periodontal therapy on lactoferrin levels in gingival crevicular fluid

Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity of natural products in periodontal disease: a comprehensive review

Periodontal diseases (PD) are common chronic inflammatory oral pathologies that are strongly linked to others not found in the mouth cavity. The immune system mediates the host response, which includes the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, metalloproteinases, and reactive oxygen species (ROS); the latter may play an important role in the establishment and progression of inflammatory diseases, particularly periodontal disease, via the development of oxidative stress (OS). Natural antioxidants have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, and some can reduce serum levels of key PD indicators such tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin IL-1. This review compiles, through a thorough literature analysis, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects of a variety of natural products, as well as their therapeutic potential in the treatment of PD.

Is the microbiome the cause of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease? Lessons to consider from odontology

BACKGROUND

A substantial amount of research is pointing to the disrupted microbiome and dysfunctional host-microbiome interaction as potential causes of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The true cause of the diseases is still not fully elucidated, and the various treatments used are not truly effective in the long run, especially for IBD, since a true cure is not known to exist. Treatment failure and surgery are common for IBD, many times leading to a perceived lower quality of life, not to mention the enormous cost for society for treatment up until that point and after. Although it is clear that the microbiome has a major role in the disease, it seems the majority of the research and treatments are still focused on treating and understanding the inflammation and not the primary cause of the inflammation in the first place. This was also the case for many decades in the search for the cause of periodontitis (PD) and gingivitis (GV), a destructive and non-destructive inflammatory disorder, respectively, the first resulting in loss of tissue supporting the teeth. There was much uncertainty and confusion until it was fully established that the microbiome was the cause. PD treatments primarily nowadays reflect the cause, i.e. the removal of microbes. There is no doubt, however, that the inflammatory pathways are important in both diseases and the purpose of this text is not to dispute this in respect to gastrointestinal disorders too. However, a different view on inflammation and associated disorders is explored to explain the nature of extraintestinal manifestations.

PURPOSE

The aim of this report is not to systematically fully review the literature to try to strengthen causality, as there are many reviews that explore the microbial aspects of IBS and IBD. Instead, the objective is to above all reflect on what has been learned in the field of odontology/stomatology and discuss relevant gastrointestinal research in order to propose tentative hypotheses and questions regarding IBS and IBD aetiology. Perhaps it could help soften the confusion regarding the microbial aetiology and dysbiosis concept, while guiding future research and treatments, primarily regarding microbial transplants, antibiotics, and diet.

Home Oral Care of Periodontal Patients Using Antimicrobial Gel with Postbiotics, Lactoferrin, and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder vs. Conventional Chlorhexidine Gel: A Split-Mouth Randomized Clinical Trial

Periodontitis is a progressive destruction of both soft and hard tooth-supporting tissues. In the last years, probiotics have been proposed as a support to the gold standard treatment scaling and root planing (SRP), but no extensive literature is present as regards the effect of the more recent postbiotics. Thirty patients subjected to SRP were randomly assigned to two domiciliary hygiene treatments based on the following oral gels: the postbiotics-based Biorepair Parodontgel Intensive (Group 1) and the chlorhexidine-based Curasept Periodontal Gel (Group 2). At baseline (T₀) and after 3 and 6 months (T₁–T₂), the following periodontal clinical parameters were recorded: Probing Pocket Depth (PPD), recession, dental mobility, Bleeding on Probing (BoP), and Plaque Control Record (PCR). A significant intragroup reduction was assessed in both groups for PPD, BoP, and PCR; conversely, recession significantly increased in both groups, whereas dental mobility did not vary. As regards intergroup comparisons, no statistically significant differences were assessed. Both gels, respectively, containing antioxidant natural ingredients and chlorhexidine, are effective for the domiciliary treatment of periodontitis. Further studies are required to evaluate the singular chemical compounds of the gels expected to exert the beneficial action assessed in this preliminary study.

Cytokine levels in gingival crevicular fluid during orthodontic treatment with aligners compared to conventional labial fixed appliances: a 3-week clinical study

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the levels of IL-1ß and TNF-α increased more and IL-1α, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 increased less, after 3 weeks of treatment with conventional labial fixed appliance and with aligners. Material and methods: Forty patients who were treated either with labial brackets (n = 20) or aligners (n = 20). Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were collected at baseline and after 21 days. Cytokine levels were evaluated by enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA). Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and bleeding on probing (POB) were also examined. Results: The levels of IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in the GCF were significantly increased in both groups. The levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 increased more in patients treated with aligners compared to those treated by labial fixed appliances. There was a statistically significant difference in change of the mean cytokine levels of IL-1α, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α compared to labial fixed appliances and aligners. Conclusions: The levels of the six studied cytokines in GCF (IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α) increased after 3 weeks both after treatment with conventional labial fixed appliance and with aligners. IL-1ß and TNF-α showed a prominent increase compared to the other cytokines in the GCF of teeth by both the labial fixed appliance and aligners. However, there were only minor differences in the changes of the cytokine levels from baseline to 3 weeks between the two groups. There were no differences between the groups regarding PI, GI or POB.

Lack of association between LTF gene polymorphisms and different caries status in primary dentition

OBJECTIVE

Dental caries is related to cariogenic bacteria, salivary components, oral hygiene and host susceptibility. Lactoferrin is an important antimicrobial glycoprotein in saliva; however, the role of the LTF gene in caries susceptibility is unclear. We investigated the association between LTF polymorphisms and the severity of caries.

DESIGN

Our study included 910 healthy paediatric subjects (aged 24-48 months) categorised into three groups: 403 with no caries or white-spot lesions; 230 with moderate caries (8 ≤ dmft ≤ 12); and 277 with severe caries (13 ≤ dmft ≤ 20). Information regarding the subjects' oral habits was gathered using questionnaires. The LTF rs1126477 and rs1126478 polymorphism alleles were genotyped by Sanger sequencing.

RESULTS

The three groups showed no significant differences in LTF polymorphisms alleles, genotypes or haplotypes distribution. Multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis showed that the interactions between breastfeeding for a duration >24 months, night feeding >24 months and high frequency of sweet food intake increased the risk of caries (p = 0.0014); however, we detected no interaction effect between the LTF polymorphisms and oral habits on caries susceptibility.

CONCLUSIONS

The LTF rs1126477 and rs1126478 polymorphisms showed no association with the different levels of caries risk in our Chinese paediatric cohort.

Relationship between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection and chronic periodontitis

INTRODUCTION

Current studies show that, even in the era of antiretroviral therapies, HIV-1 infection is associated with more severe and frequent refractory chronic periodontitis. Areas covered: This review, based on a systematic analysis of the literature, intends to provide an update on factors that may be involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease in HIV-1-infected patients, including local immunosuppression, oral microbial factors, systemic inflammation, salivary markers, and the role of gingival tissue as a possible reservoir of HIV-1. Expert commentary: The therapeutic revolution of ART made HIV-1 infection a chronic controllable disease, reduced HIV-1 mortality rate, restored at least partially the immune response and dramatically increased life expectancy of HIV-1-infected patients. Despite all these positive aspects, chronic periodontitis assumes an important role in the HIV-1 infection status for activating systemic inflammation favoring viral replication and influencing HIV-1 status, and also acting as a possible reservoir of HIV-1. All these issues still need to be clarified and validated, but have important clinical implications that certainly will benefit the diagnosis and management of chronic periodontitis in HIV-1-infected patients, and also contributes to HIV-1 eradication.

Salivary pH, calcium, phosphorus and selected enzymes in healthy dogs: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Saliva in dogs, as in humans, is a complex fluid secreted by different salivary glands in the oral cavity to protect the oral mucosa and teeth. The use of saliva as a substitute for blood in diagnosing and prognosticating disease in humans is widely accepted. Salivary biochemistry has also been used as a marker for periodontal disease in humans. No studies have as yet investigated the relation between salivary biochemistry and periodontal disease in dogs, however; neither has the salivary composition of healthy dogs with no oral disease been assessed. The purpose of this study was to obtain an overview on pH distribution and a set of salivary biochemical analytes (calcium, phosphorus, lactate dehydrogenase, lysozyme and amylase) commonly related to oral health in humans in a subset population of healthy young dogs with no periodontal disease or previous oral disease. Data were analyzed to gather salivary reference ranges for pH and each parameter and to assess a possible correlation between salivary and serum analytes.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine adult client-owned dogs were recruited for the study. Lactate dehydrogenase and lysozyme showed higher concentrations in saliva than in serum, whereas amylase showed the contrary. Salivary biochemistry values did not differ between males and females or between non-neutered and neutered individuals. No significant correlations between salivary and serum calcium, phosphorus, lactate dehydrogenase, amylase and lysozyme were identified in this study. Data allowed intervals for the salivary pH and other analytes investigated to be obtained from healthy dogs with healthy oral conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

These preliminary data can contribute to enlarge our understanding of the functional role of saliva and its relation to oral health in dogs.

Antimicrobial Activity of Lactoferrin-Related Peptides and Applications in Human and Veterinary Medicine

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a vast array of molecules produced by virtually all living organisms as natural barriers against infection. Among AMP sources, an interesting class regards the food-derived bioactive agents. The whey protein lactoferrin (Lf) is an iron-binding glycoprotein that plays a significant role in the innate immune system, and is considered as an important host defense molecule. In search for novel antimicrobial agents, Lf offers a new source with potential pharmaceutical applications. The Lf-derived peptides Lf(1-11), lactoferricin (Lfcin) and lactoferrampin exhibit interesting and more potent antimicrobial actions than intact protein. Particularly, Lfcin has demonstrated strong antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiparasitic activity with promising applications both in human and veterinary diseases (from ocular infections to osteo-articular, gastrointestinal and dermatological diseases).