Periodontitis and Plasma C-reactive Protein during Pregnancy

Maternal periodontal disease is a chronic oral infection with local and systemic inflammatory responses and may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. The systemic inflammatory responses are evidenced by elevations in serum acute-phase reactants such as fibrinogen and C reactive proteins (CRP). CRP is believed to be highly sensitive albeit non-specific marker of inflammatory status and may reflect infectious burden. CRP is higher amongst pregnant women as compared to non-pregnant women. This study determined whether maternal periodontal disease in early pregnancy is associated with elevated serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.