Changes in Biochemical Parameters Associated with Periodontal Disease
Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by specific bacteria present in the oral cavity. Several mechanisms have been proposed in order to explain the disease's pathogenesis. Among them, the most common and intensely studied is the neutrophil dysfunction with a reduction in the chemotaxic function, that is significantly influenced by the intercellular signalling pathways via inflammatory cytokines. In this study, we assayed serum IL 8, TNF a and IFN g,from patients with aggressive and chronic periodontitis and compared them with healthy controls. We found a significantincrease in TNF a levels that was higher in the aggressive versus chronic periodontitis. IFN g was also increased in chronic periodontitis. There was no diffference in IL 8 levels between healthy and diseased patients. These results indicate that TNF a can be used as a potential marker in periodontal disease