title: Periodontal alteration of the microcirculation and hypercholesterolemia: a possible correlation?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the morphological and parametric characteristics of the periodontal microcirculation in patients diagnosed as having hypercholesterolemia and high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients were recruited, 20 of whom were affected by hypercholesterolemia and 20 of whom were considered healthy. A videocapillaroscopic examination was carried out on the periodontal mucosa in the proximity of the frenulum (II, V sextant).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The difference between the parameters of the hypercholesterolemia group and the control group was evaluated with the Mann-Whitney U-test for non-parametric ordinal data; the level of significance being P<0.05. The videocapillaroscopy documented extremely significant differences between the two groups, regarding the following parameters: total diameter of the loop (P=0.0017), diameter of the afferent loops (P=0.0004), diameter of the efferent loops (P=0.00008) and periodontal density (P=0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The capillaroscopic examination revealed a morphological alteration of the periodontal microcirculation in patients with hypercholesterolemia, which is an expression of peripheral vascular phlogosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. scardina@odonto.unipa.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe Alessandro
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Scardina
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pisano
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cacioppo
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Messina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002196:Capillaries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010519:Periodontium / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL