Association of salivary levels of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone with periodontitis in older Japanese adults.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between periodontitis and psychoneuroimmunologic variables, such as stress-related hormones, is poorly understood. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the associations between two kinds of stress-related hormones, cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and periodontitis in healthy community-dwelling elderly subjects aged > or =60 years.


METHODS
A total of 171 subjects (85 males and 86 females) participated in this study. The subjects were independently living elderly people with a mean age of 68.4 (+/- 4.46) years. Stimulated whole saliva samples were collected, and hormone levels were determined. A medical questionnaire regarding medical conditions, lifestyle, and psychosocial stress also was administered. The clinical examinations included probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing, and clinical attachment level (CAL).


RESULTS
There was a positive correlation between hormone levels and PD and CAL values. When the subjects were divided into two groups based on periodontitis severity, hormone levels were significantly higher in subjects with severe PD or CAL. Multiple regression analysis showed that higher cortisol and DHEA levels were associated significantly with greater numbers of teeth with severe PD or CAL, after adjusting for confounding variables.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested close relationships between the extent and severity of periodontitis and salivary levels of cortisol and DHEA in healthy elderly subjects. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the association between the levels of DHEA and extensive periodontitis.
Ishisaka
Aiko
A
Division of Community Oral Health Science, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental College, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Ansai
Toshihiro
T
Soh
Inho
I
Inenaga
Kiyotoshi
K
Yoshida
Akihiro
A
Shigeyama
Chieko
C
Awano
Shuji
S
Hamasaki
Tomoko
T
Sonoki
Kazuo
K
Takata
Yutaka
Y
Takehara
Tadamichi
T
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000378:metabolism; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism
D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone