title: Periodontitis is associated with platelet activation.
abstract: There is an epidemiological association between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In periodontitis, low grade systemic inflammation and bacteremia occur regularly. Such events may contribute to platelet activation and subsequent pro-coagulant state. This study aimed to investigate platelet activation in periodontitis patients. The study is composed of two parts. In the first part, plasma levels of soluble(s) P-selectin and sCD40 ligand were measured as general markers of platelet activation in periodontitis patients (n=85) and in healthy controls (n=35). In the second part, surface-exposed P-selectin and the ligand-binding conformation of the glycoprotein IIb-IIIa complex (binding of PAC-1 antibody) were determined on individual platelets in whole blood of periodontitis patients (n=18) and controls (n=16). Patients had significantly elevated plasma levels of sP-selectin (P<0.001) and increased binding of PAC-1 on isolated platelets (P=0.033). Platelet activation was more pronounced in the patients with more severe periodontal disease, showing a severity-dependence. The levels of sCD40 ligand and of platelet-bound P-selectin were not increased. Periodontitis is associated with increased platelet activation. Since platelet activation contributes to a pro-coagulant state and constitutes a risk for atherothrombosis, platelet activation in periodontitis may partly explain the epidemiological association between periodontitis and CVD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Universiteit van Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Papapanagiotou
authors.forename: Elena A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Nicu
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bizzarro
authors.forename: Victor E A
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Gerdes
authors.forename: Joost C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Meijers
authors.forename: Rienk
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nieuwland
authors.forename: Ubele
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: van der Velden
authors.forename: Bruno G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Loos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D054641:Dual Specificity Phosphatase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015539:Platelet Activation; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D019007:P-Selectin; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex; D023201:CD40 Ligand; C517032:DUSP2 protein, human; D054641:Dual Specificity Phosphatase 2