Gingival blood flow in periodontitis patients before and after periodontal surgery assessed in smokers and non-smokers.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to evaluate the gingival blood flow of smokers and non-smokers with periodontal disease before and after surgical periodontal treatment.


METHODS
Nine smokers and six non-smokers with at least two periodontal lesions were included in the study. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to measure blood flow in two gingival sites and two skin sites. Two intrabony defects were treated surgically at the same time; enamel matrix derivative was applied at random to one of the sites, whereas the other site received a placebo gel. We measured resting gingival blood flow (GBF) and responses to cold pressor test (CPT) and to smoking and made continuous measurements of blood pressure (BP). Resting GBF levels of 26 young healthy subjects were used as a reference value.


RESULTS
Resting GBF was significantly lower for the periodontitis patients compared to the reference subjects, regardless of smoking habits. GBF and gingival vascular conductance (VC) decreased significantly pre- and postoperatively in response to smoking. CPT evoked significant decreases in VC in smokers and non-smokers. Skin blood flow decreased significantly in response to CPT, more so in the non-smokers. BP was significantly higher in the non-smokers.


CONCLUSIONS
Resting GBF of periodontitis patients was not lower in smokers than in non-smokers, but it was significantly lower than in the younger reference subjects. In contrast to our earlier findings in healthy subjects, smoking one cigarette may cause a decrease in GBF and VC in periodontitis patients. These observations suggested the existence of a dysfunction in the gingival vasculature in smokers and non-smokers with periodontitis.
Mavropoulos
Antonios
A
Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. a-mavr@online.no
Brodin
Pål
P
Rösing
Cassiano Kuchenbecker
CK
Aass
Anne Merete
AM
Aars
Harald
H
D000328:Adult; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003746:Dental Enamel Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000098:blood supply*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018924:Vascular Capacitance / Q000187:drug effects; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000187:drug effects
D003746:Dental Enamel Proteins; C109069:enamel matrix proteins