Comparison of the salivary and the serum nitric oxide levels in chronic and aggressive periodontitis: a biochemical study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Nitric oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous intercellular messenger molecule with important cardiovascular, neurological, and immune functions. In addition, it has been postulated that the pharmacological inhibition of NO or its actions may be therapeutically valuable in the disease management. The levels of nitric oxide may provide clues about the severity and the state of the underlying disease process. It could be an inflammatory biomarker that may enable clinicians to direct the environmentally based prevention or treatment programmes and to establish whether NO plays a role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis or not. Hence, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the salivary and the serum levels of NO in generalized chronic and aggressive periodontitis. The Study Design: Unstimulated whole saliva and serum samples were collected from a total of 60 subjects who were in the age group of 18-45 years, who participated in this study. They were divided into three equal groups with 20 subjects in each group; group A (healthy controls), group B (chronic periodontitis) and group C (aggressive periodontitis). The clinical parameters were assessed, based on the oral hygiene index simplified (OHI-S), the gingival index (GI), the probing pocket depth and the clinical attachment loss (CAL). A biochemical analysis was performed to evaluate and compare the salivary and the serum nitric oxide levels of the above groups. Statistical Analysis and Results: The statistical comparisons were done under the Griess Reaction. There were statistically significant salivary and serum levels of NO in the groups of periodontitis (group B and C) as compared to those in the healthy controls (group A). A significant positive correlation was found between the values of the salivary and the serum NO levels in chronic and aggressive periodontitis.

CONCLUSION

Nitric oxide is a potent modulator of the inflammatory disease processes and under pathological conditions, NO has damaging effects. As there is a paucity in the studies which have compared chronic and aggressive periodontitis, this study paved an interest for combining the serum and the salivary analysis in comparing the levels of nitric oxide in chronic and aggressive periodontitis.

Cysticercosis of the oral cavity: an often misdiagnosed entity

We present a case report of a single lesion of cysticercosis cellulosae, a parasitic infection caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium (pork tapeworm), presenting as a soft tissue swelling of the lower lip. We stress the importance of knowledge about oral manifestations of parasitic infections.

Morphoregulatory role of thidiazuron: morphogenesis of root outgrowths in thidiazuron-treated geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum Bailey)

Root outgrowths formed on the root tissue of geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum Bailey cv. Kim and cv. Shone Helena) plants in response to treatment with the phenylurea derivative, thidiazuron (N-phenyl-N'-1,2,3-thiadiazol-5'-ylurea; TDZ). Treatment with the cytokinin N(6)-benzylaminopurine (BAP) or the auxin α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) did not result in stimulation of similar abnormal structures on the root tissue. Significantly more outgrowths developed on roots of plants treated with 10 μM and 20 μM TDZ than on control plants or those treated with 1 μM TDZ for the eight-week treatment period. Some outgrowths produced shoots and plantlets while still attached to roots, and regenerants were easily separated from the root tissue and transferred to soil in the greenhouse where they grew to maturity. Histological observations suggested these outgrowths originated from the vascular cambium region of the root.