title: Salivary-soluble CD44 levels in smokers and non-smokers with chronic periodontitis: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smoking is the most important environmental risk factor for periodontal disease. Elevated levels of serum-soluble CD44 (sCD44) have been detected in smokers and also have been recognized as a diagnostic marker in some smoking-induced diseases. The present study investigates the salivary sCD44 profiles of smokers and non-smokers with and without chronic periodontitis in response to scaling and root planing (SRP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 44 subjects divided into two groups: 22 patients with chronic periodontitis and 22 periodontally healthy subjects. Both groups were equally subdivided into smokers (n = 11) and non-smokers (n = 11). Plaque index, gingival index, probing depth, and clinical attachment level were recorded only for chronic periodontitis patients. Salivary samples were collected from all 44 patients at baseline and after 1 month of SRP from the 22 chronic periodontitis patients. Assay for salivary sCD44 was carried out by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline salivary sCD44 profiles were significantly higher when smokers were compared to non-smokers in both chronic periodontitis patients and the control subjects (P <0.001) with the highest levels recorded in smokers within the chronic periodontitis group. There was a significant decline in salivary sCD44 levels after treatment in the chronic periodontitis group for both smokers and non-smokers (P <0.01); however, the difference between groups was insignificant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Salivary sCD44 might be considered a biomarker of periodontal destruction in smokers and non-smokers. The research opens the door to further research into a role for CD44 as a diagnostic marker for periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Periodontology and Diagnosis, Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Noha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghallab
authors.forename: Olfat
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shaker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D012534:Dental Scaling; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000145:classification; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000145:classification; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016745:Root Planing; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism*; D013357:Subgingival Curettage
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C497483:CD44 protein, human; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides