A clinical investigation of the association of a biochemical chairside assay and periodontal parameters.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the relationship between the values of a research-use only biochemical assay that detects sulfur/protein compounds in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and clinical measures of periodontal status.

METHODS

Seventy-five subjects were enrolled; two were excluded. Mean age (SD) was 44.73 (19.61); age range, 23 to 85; men, 55%; white, 44%. Periodontal evaluations, including plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), clinical periodontal attachment levels (AL), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were performed on six sites per tooth. Subjects were divided into three groups: periodontally healthy (no loss of attachment and no gingival bleeding, 18 subjects); gingivitis (no loss of attachment and presence of gingival bleeding, 32 subjects); and periodontitis (loss of attachment > 5 mm in five or more teeth, 23 subjects). Gingival crevicular fluid was collected from four separate sites, one site per quadrant, and processed for sulfur compounds (GCF.tx) and protein compounds (GCF.pt).

RESULTS

Analysis of variance showed that GCF.pt scores differed between the three periodontal groups (p = 0.01). Ad hoc Tukey HSD test showed periodontally diseased subjects (gingivitis and periodontitis) had higher GCF.pt scores than periodontally healthy subjects (p = 0.05). Correlation analysis showed moderate significant associations between clinical periodontal measures and both GCF.tx and GCF.pt scores.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that a chairside biochemical assay, capable of measuring sulfur and protein levels in GCF, has potential as an adjunct diagnostic test for periodontal diseases.