title: Endothelial dysfunction in patients with chronic periodontitis and its improvement after initial periodontal therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent epidemiological data suggested that there is a relationship between periodontal health and atherosclerotic coronary heart disease. Although hypothetical models were proposed, the exact mechanism of this association has not been clarified. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is an endothelial dysfunction in patients with chronic periodontitis and, if present, whether recovery is possible with therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study groups consisted of 28 patients (mean age: 45.5 +/- 8.6 years) with chronic periodontitis and without any atherosclerotic vascular disease, and 26 healthy controls (mean age: 43.7 +/- 6.8 years). Cardiovascular risk factors were investigated in both groups. Brachial artery responses to reactive hyperemia (endothelium-dependent dilatation [EDD]) and sublingual nitroglycerin (endothelium-independent dilatation [EID]) were measured using high-resolution vascular ultrasound in both groups. Measurements were taken before and after initial periodontal therapy in the periodontal patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to cardiovascular risk factors. In the baseline measurements, EDD and EID were significantly impaired in patients with chronic periodontitis when compared with the controls (8.4% +/- 4.0% versus 19.4% +/- 8.1%, P<0.0001; 13.3% +/- 6.3% versus 29.5% +/- 10.0%, P<0.0001 for EDD and EID, respectively). After non-surgical periodontal therapy, EDD and EID improved significantly (from 8.4% +/- 4.0% to 17.7% +/- 5.7%, P<0.0001; and from 13.3% +/- 6.3% to 24.9% +/- 7.3%, P<0.0001 for FMD and EID, respectively). The EDD and EID changes in the controls were insignificant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that endothelial functions were impaired in patients with chronic periodontitis and that they improve following initial periodontal therapy.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Capa, Istanbul, Turkey. fmercanoglu@superonline.com
authors.forename: Fehmi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mercanoglu
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oflaz
authors.forename: Ogün
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oz
authors.forename: Aslan Yasar
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Gökbuget
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Genchellac
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sezer
authors.forename: Yilmaz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nişanci
authors.forename: Sabahattin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Umman
mesh_terms: D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease; D012534:Dental Scaling; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014463:Ultrasonography