title: Periodontal therapy reduces plasma levels of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen in patients with severe periodontitis and refractory arterial hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent epidemiologic studies suggest that inflammation is the link between periodontal diseases and cardiovascular complications. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of non-surgical periodontal treatment on plasma levels of inflammatory markers (interleukin [IL]-6, C-reactive protein [CRP], and fibrinogen) in patients with severe periodontitis and refractory arterial hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two patients were examined and randomly divided into two groups. The test group was composed of 11 patients (mean age, 48.9 +/- 3.9 years) who received periodontal treatment, whereas the control group had 11 patients (mean age, 49.7 +/- 6.0 years) whose treatment was delayed for 3 months. Demographic and clinical periodontal data were collected, and blood tests were performed to measure the levels of IL-6, CRP, and fibrinogen at baseline and 3 months later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clinical results showed that the mean percentages of sites with bleeding on probing, probing depth (PD) 4 to 5 mm, PD > or =6 mm, clinical attachment loss (CAL) 4 to 5 mm, and CAL > or =6 mm were significantly reduced in the test group 3 months after periodontal treatment. There were no significant differences between the data at baseline and 3 months in the control group. Periodontal treatment significantly reduced the blood levels of fibrinogen, CRP, and IL-6 in the test group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-surgical periodontal therapy was effective in improving periodontal clinical data and in reducing the plasma levels of IL-6, CRP, and fibrinogen in hypertensive patients with severe periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Odontology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fábio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Carlos Marcelo S
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Figueredo
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cordovil
authors.forename: Ricardo G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012534:Dental Scaling; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein