title: Gingival crevicular fluid VEGF levels in periodontal health and disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a glycoprotein, has attracted attention as a potential inducer of angiogenesis. It is detectable in periodontal tissues within endothelial cells, plasma cells, and macrophages and in junctional, sulcular, and gingival epithelium. In periodontitis patients, the volume of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and the total amount of VEGF collected from diseased sites were greater than from clinically healthy sites. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of VEGF in periodontal disease progression and to investigate the effect of periodontal therapy on VEGF concentrations in GCF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five subjects were divided into three groups based on gingival index, clinical attachment loss, and radiographic evidence of alveolar bone loss: healthy (group 1), gingivitis (group 2), and chronic periodontitis (group 3). A fourth group consisted of subjects from group 3, 8 weeks after treatment (scaling and root planing). GCF samples collected from each patient were quantified for VEGF levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Further, the correlation between VEGF levels in situ and the clinical parameters was analyzed in all groups and was analyzed before and after treatment in the periodontitis group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest mean VEGF concentration (99.375 pg/ml) was observed in group 3, and the lowest was observed in group 1 (42.025 pg/ml). Its mean level in group 3 decreased to 54.60 pg/ml after treatment (group 4). Further, GCF VEGF levels showed a positive correlation with all of the clinical parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VEGF levels in GCF increased from health to periodontitis, and periodontal treatment resulted in a reduction in their concentrations. These data indicated that VEGF plays a key role in periodontal disease progression and can be considered a biomarker of periodontal disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Government Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. prapulla_gdc@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Devi V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Prapulla
authors.forename: Pai B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Sujatha
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Pradeep
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D012534:Dental Scaling; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000378:metabolism; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A