Bone mineral content and bone metabolism in young adults with severe periodontitis.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify in young adults with severe periodontitis (1) whether the bone mineral content (BMC) or density (BMD) in the mandible/other skeletal sites and the systemic bone metabolism differed from normal and (2) whether mandibular/forearm BMC did change during the 5 to 10-year follow-up.


METHODS
24 young otherwise normal patients with verified severe periodontitis were included, of which 20 attended the follow-up visit. Mandibular/forearm BMC was measured at both visits by dual-photon absorptiometry, supplemented with femoral neck/lumbar spine BMD measurements at follow-up visit by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum alkaline phosphatase/ionized calcium, urinary excretion of pyridinoline/deoxy-pyridinoline were analysed at the follow-up visit. A conventional periodontal examination was performed at both visits.


RESULTS
Mandibular BMC was significantly below normal mean BMC at both visits. The mandibular Z-scores were < or = -2.00 in 33.3% (8/24). BMC/BMD in the remaining sites and the values for bone markers did not differ from normal. Mandibular/forearm BMC was stable while a significant aggravation of alveolar bone loss occurred during the trial without change of probing depth.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe periodontitis in young adults seems to be a local disorder associated with relatively low BMC in the jaws without systemic alterations of BMC/BMD and bone metabolism.
von Wowern
N
N
Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Westergaard
J
J
Kollerup
G
G
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000652:urine; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005542:Forearm / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D000596:Amino Acids; D015415:Biomarkers; D008903:Minerals; C015484:pyridinoline; C036020:deoxypyridinoline; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D002118:Calcium