Effects of initial periodontal therapy on leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein levels in saliva from Japanese patients with chronic periodontitis.

Purpose: Examination of patients to detect periodontal disease is important for diagnosis and treatment planning, and accuracy of examination may be improved if salivary components can be applied for diagnosis. Leucine-rich α2 glycoprotein (LRG) is expressed in the serum of patients with inflammatory diseases, and salivary LRG may be applicable to the diagnosis of periodontal disease.

Methods: To evaluate the effect of initial periodontal therapy (IPT) on clinical periodontal parameters such as probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA), periodontal epithelial surface area (PESA), saliva samples were collected before and after IPT from 63 patients with chronic periodontitis. The amount of LRG protein in saliva was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Salivary LRG levels of 30 patients with Stage III, Grade B or C periodontitis (Severe group) were higher than the LRG levels of 33 patients with Stage Ⅰ or Ⅱ, Grade A periodontitis (Mild group). LRG levels in the Severe group significantly decreased after IPT. Positive correlations were found between salivary LRG levels and mean PD, CAL, BOP rate, PISA and PESA.

Conclusion: These results suggest that there is an association between salivary LRG levels and severity of periodontitis.