title: Severe pregnancy complication (preeclampsia) is associated with greater periodontal destruction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disease which is one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The etiology of preeclampsia remains elusive. The underlying pathology may be related to a generalized intravascular hyperinflammatory state. Since the placental histopathologic lesions of acute atherosis, seen in preeclampsia, bear resemblance to those seen in atherosclerosis, and recent evidence links atherosclerosis with chronic infection, we decided to investigate a possible link between preeclampsia and chronic periodontal infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty primigravidas, 15 suffering from preeclampsia, had full mouth periodontal examinations. Gingival crevicular fluid samples were taken for laboratory immunological assessment. Similar examination and sampling were performed in 15 age- and maternal status-matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly higher periodontal probing depth and clinical attachment level scores were found in the preeclamptic group compared with controls (2.98 versus 2.11 and 3.33 versus 2.30, respectively). Plaque index, gingival index, and mean gingival overgrowth scores were very similar in both groups. Furthermore, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and interleukin (IL)-1beta levels were all significantly higher in the preeclamptic group (247.4 ngr/sample versus 89.1 ngr/sample, 8.03 pgr/sample versus 4.03 pgr/sample, and 175.7 pgr/sample versus 62.2 pgr/sample, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The above results suggest a possible association between periodontal inflammation and preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. o_o-barak@rambam.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Orit
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oettinger-Barak
authors.forename: Shlomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barak
authors.forename: Gonen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ohel
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oettinger
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kreutzer
authors.forename: Micha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peled
authors.forename: Eli E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Machtei
mesh_terms: D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015232:Dinoprostone