Short-term effects of non-surgical periodontal treatment on plasma level of reactive oxygen metabolites in patients with chronic periodontitis

Background: Elevated levels of blood reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with the severity of periodontitis. Therefore, improvement of periodontitis may result in a decrease in blood ROS. However, it is unclear how periodontal treatment affects blood ROS. Recently, reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) were recognized as a useful measure of blood ROS. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate the effect of non-surgical periodontal treatment on plasma ROMs in patients with chronic periodontitis. Methods: Nineteen subjects with chronic periodontitis (mean age: 46.8 years) were monitored at baseline (prior to scaling and root planing) and 1 and 2 months after therapy. Dental health parameters were evaluated, and plasma was obtained at these time points from patients and controls (19 subjects without periodontitis; mean age: 45.3 years). The plasma ROM level was determined using a spectrophotometric technique. Results: At baseline, patients with chronic periodontitis had higher plasma ROM level (441.8 ± 71.1 Carratelli units) than the control subjects (324.4 ± 34.0 Carratelli units; P <0.01). Probing depth, clinical attachment level, and bleeding on probing in patients with chronic periodontitis showed a significant improvement 2 months after non-surgical periodontal treatment, and this was accompanied by a significant reduction in plasma ROM level (P <0.01). Conclusions: In patients with chronic periodontitis, nonsurgical periodontal treatment was effective at improving clinical parameters and reducing plasma ROMs. The improvement in chronic periodontitis by non-surgical periodontal treatment might offer clinical benefits by decreasing blood ROS.