title: Radioimmunoassay quantification of adrenomedullin in human gingival crevicular fluid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether adrenomedullin (ADM), a multifunctional peptide with key roles in host antimicrobial defence and inflammation, was present and quantifiable in human gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and to study its relationship with periodontal health and disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  GCF samples (30s) were collected using perio-paper strips from one diseased site in 21 subjects with periodontal disease and one healthy site from 19 control subjects with no evidence of periodontal disease. Samples were analysed by radioimmunoassay using a specific anti-human ADM antibody.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Measurable adrenomedullin-like immunoreactivity (ADM-LI) was present in all the GCF samples collected. ADM-LI was significantly higher in periodontitis sites (mean 493.6 pg) than in control healthy sites (mean 248.5 pg), p = 0.0016.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is concluded that ADM is present in GCF at levels at which it could have an antibacterial role in the gingival crevice and modulate the pathophysiology of periodontal inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Oral Science Research Centre, School of Dentistry, Queen's University, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT12 6BP, UK. f.lundy@qub.ac.uk
authors.forename: Fionnuala T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Lundy
authors.forename: Mairead M T
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: O'Hare
authors.forename: Bronac M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: McKibben
authors.forename: Catherine R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Fulton
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.forename: Gerard James
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Linden
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin / Q000032:analysis*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000032:analysis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010519:Periodontium / Q000473:pathology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D053607:Adrenomedullin