Correlates of periodontal decline and biologic markers in older adults.
BACKGROUND
There is limited information on infectious and host responses distinguishing older people with or without active periodontitis. This study measured bacterial and serum cytokine and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels in older persons.


METHODS
Elders (mean age: 67 years), whose periodontal status had declined most or least (20% worst or 20% best) over 5 years, were enrolled. Two years later, they were classified as periodontally declining (active periodontitis [AP]), if they had at least five teeth with probing depth (PD) > or =5 mm, or stable (stable periodontally [SP]), if they did not. Groups were compared with respect to demographics, PD, clinical loss of attachment, subgingival bacteria, serum hsCRP, interleukin (IL)-1beta and -6, and chronic diseases.


RESULTS
Ten AP and 24 SP subjects were identified; 13% of women and 44% of men from the original sample were in the AP group (P <0.05). Most Asians were SP; most whites and all African Americans were classified as having AP (P <0.01). More AP elders had osteoporosis (P <0.01), but the AP and SP groups did not differ with respect to IL-1beta and -6 or hsCRP. Bacterial counts were higher in the AP group for Parvimonas micra (previously Peptostreptococcus micros or Micromonas micros) (7.7 x 10(5) cells versus 3.8 x 10(5) cells; P <0.05), Prevotella intermedia (25.7 x 10(5) cells versus 9.8 x 10(5) cells; P <0.01), Tannerella forsythia (previously T. forsythensis) (16.2 x 10(5) cells versus 8.0 x 10(5) cells; P <0.05), and Streptococcus mutans (6.2 x 10(5) cells versus 2.0 x 10(5) cells; P <0.01). Three risk factors were most predictive of periodontal decline: PD, osteoporosis, and being white or African American.


CONCLUSIONS
Periodontal decline was associated with osteoporosis, ethnicity, PD, gender, serum hsCRP, and levels of four bacterial species.
Department of Periodontics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. jessmith@u.washington.edu
Jessica R
JR
Swoboda
H Asuman
HA
Kiyak
Richard
R
Darveau
G Rutger
GR
Persson
D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005881:Gingiva / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000145:classification; D010462:Peptostreptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000145:classification; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000145:classification; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000145:classification*; D018713:Prevotella intermedia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044465:White People
D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein