title: Substance P and neurokinin A in gingival crevicular fluid in periodontal health and disease.
abstract: The aims of the present study were to investigate whether the tachykinins substance P and neurokinin A were present in gingival crevicular fluid in both periodontal health and disease and to study the relationship with periodontal inflammation. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) was collected from a healthy, a gingivitis and a periodontitis site in 20 subjects with periodontitis and from a healthy site in 20 subjects without periodontitis. The volume of GCF was measured and each sample subsequently analysed for substance P and neurokinin A by radioimmunoassay. There were significantly increased levels of substance P-like immunoreactivity (SP-LI) and neurokinin A-like immunoreactivity (NKA-LI) in gingivitis and periodontitis sites compared with healthy sites. Both tachykinins were significantly elevated in periodontitis affected subjects, with significantly more tachykinin-like immunoreactivity at healthy sites in periodontitis affected compared with periodontally-healthy subjects. Despite the considerable individual variation in the levels of SP-LI and NKA-LI, both tachykinins were present at levels at which they could have biological activity. It is concluded that substance P and neurokinin A may have a rôle in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease and that further investigations could prove useful in clarifying the mechanisms through which neuropeptides could modulate periodontal health and disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Restorative Dentistry (Periodontics), School of Clinical Dentistry, Queen's University, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Linden
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McKinnell
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Lundy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000378:metabolism; D005888:Gingival Pocket / Q000378:metabolism; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015288:Neurokinin A / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000378:metabolism; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000378:metabolism; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010519:Periodontium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P; D015288:Neurokinin A