Specific fibronectin fragments as markers of periodontal disease status.
BACKGROUND
The diagnosis of progressing periodontal disease typically relies on retrospective methods that detect changes in the amount of periodontal breakdown. Fibronectin (FN) fragments are found in vivo in association with periodontal disease, and specific FN fragments compromise periodontal ligament cell functions in vitro. The overall goal of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether specific FN fragments are present in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and can be used as markers for periodontal disease status. The eventual goal is to test these FN fragments in a longitudinal study as potential markers of disease activity.


METHODS
GCF was collected from 94 subjects with untreated periodontitis from clinically healthy, mild/moderate periodontitis, and severe periodontitis sites. Sites were defined on the basis of clinical criteria, including gingival bleeding index, probing depth, and clinical attachment level. Western immunoblotting was used to detect FN fragments in GCF using antibodies to specific FN domains, including the collagen/gelatin-, central cell-, and carboxyl terminal heparin-binding domains, plus the CS-1 site on the alternatively spliced V region and the EIIIA region. FN fragments identified by immunoblotting and analyzed by NIH image software were scored based on pixel intensity and an ordinal grade scale.


RESULTS
We identified several fragments highly associated with severe periodontitis sites, including 40-kDa, 120-kDa, and 68-kDa fragments.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that specific FN fragments are markers for periodontal disease status and supports the role of FN fragments as potential components in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.
Huynh
Quang Ngoc
QN
Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of California San Francisco, 94143-0512, USA.
Wang
Shaohui
S
Tafolla
Elizabeth
E
Gansky
Stuart A
SA
Kapila
Sunil
S
Armitage
Gary C
GC
Kapila
Yvonne L
YL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000032:analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D015415:Biomarkers; D005353:Fibronectins; D021122:Protein Subunits