Poor oral health is associated with coronary heart disease and elevated systemic inflammatory and haemostatic factors.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between poor oral health and coronary heart disease (CHD) and systemic inflammatory and haemostatic factors in an Italian population.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 63 males aged 40-65 years with proven CHD and 50 controls matched for age, geographic area, and socioeconomic status. A detailed description of their oral status was given using four different dental indices (total dental index (TDI), panoramic tomography score, clinical periodontal sum score (CPSS), and clinical and radiographic sum score (CRSS)). Blood samples were taken for measurement of the following CHD risk factors: serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and glucose; a series of systemic markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein, leucocytes, fibrinogen, homocysteine) and a series of haemostatic factors (von Willebrand factor, fibrin D-dimer, prothrombinic fragment F1.2, plasminogen activator inhibitor type I (PAI-1), and serum antibodies) against oxidized LDL (anti-Ox-LDL).


RESULTS
Multiple logistic regression adjusted for all risk factors for CHD showed statistically significant relationships (p<0.01) between all dental indices and CHD. Significant relationships (p always <0.01) were found between CPSS and CRSS and leucocyte count. Significant relationships (p always <0.05) were also found between TDI and the von Willebrand factor, and between CPSS and the von Willebrand factor, anti-Ox-LDL, and PAI-1.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study suggests an association between poor oral status and CHD, and provides evidence that inflammatory and haemostatic factors could play an important role in this association.
Montebugnoli
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Department of Oral Science, University of Bologna, Italy. montebu@alma.unibo.it
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000032:analysis*; D007558:Italy; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000032:analysis; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis
D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014280:Triglycerides; C045879:prothrombin fragment 1.2; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D011516:Prothrombin; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol