MMP-8, IL-6, and IL-1β: The Most Promising Salivary Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis of Periodontitis.

Objective: To evaluate the salivary levels of MMP-8, IL-1β, and IL-6 in patients with periodontitis and healthy controls, and to assess the association between these biomarkers and clinical parameters of periodontal disease.

Study design: A case-control study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Pathology, Bahria University Health Sciences Campus, Karachi, Pakistan, from February to June 2024.

Methodology: A total of 76 participants were selected using OpenEpi software. Ethical approval was obtained prior to the study. Clinical parameters such as plaque index (PI), calculus index (CI), periodontal probing depth (PPD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were measured. Salivary levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and MMP-8 were determined using a Sandwich ELISA kit (BT Lab). Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27, and independent t-test / Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the biomarker levels, with significance set at p <0.05.

Results: The study found significantly higher levels of IL-1β, MMP-8, and IL-6 in periodontitis patients compared to healthy controls. Significant associations were observed between biomarker levels and gender (p = 0.022), age groups (p <0.001), comorbidities (p = 0.012), plaque (p <0.001), CI (p <0.001), BOP (p <0.001), and CAL (p <0.001).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated significant associations between salivary biomarkers (IL-1β, MMP-8, and IL-6) and clinical parameters of periodontitis. These biomarkers show promise as diagnostic tools for the early detection of periodontal disease.

Key words: Periodontitis, Salivary biomarkers, Saliva, Interleukin 1beta, Interleukin 6, Matrix metalloproteinases 8.