title: Salivary levels of antibacterial peptide (LL-37/hCAP-18) and cotinine in patients with chronic periodontitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between salivary LL-37 levels and clinical severity in patients with chronic periodontitis (CP). The presence/absence of four periodontopathic bacteria and salivary cotinine levels were also examined to assess the impact of these factors on LL-37 production.
  
  
  METHODS
  Unstimulated salivary samples were collected from 69 patients with CP. Salivary concentrations of LL-37 and cotinine were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola in saliva were detected by polymerase chain reaction. Periodontal examination included determination of probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing, and plaque control record.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean salivary LL-37 concentration was 225.0 ± 227.2 ng/mL, and a high prevalence of periodontopathic bacteria was observed. The stepwise ordinal logistic regression model showed that high salivary LL-37 levels were significantly associated with the presence of T. denticola and higher percentage of teeth with PD ≥5 mm. In addition, higher salivary cotinine levels (≥8 ng/mL) were negatively associated with salivary LL-37 levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Salivary LL-37 level was positively correlated with severe periodontal destruction, and production was apparently associated with periodontopathic bacterial infection. The negative correlations between salivary LL-37 and cotinine levels also suggest that smoking or long-term exposure to environmental tobacco smoke can lead to lower LL-37 levels in the oral cavity and increased risk of periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katagiri
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitagawara
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Tatsurou
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koyanagi
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Izumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D058491:Bacterial Load; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000145:classification* / Q000382:microbiology; D003367:Cotinine / Q000032:analysis*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005810:Multigene Family; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000145:classification; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000145:classification; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D012907:Smoking; D048373:Treponema denticola / Q000302:isolation & purification; D054804:Cathelicidins
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D003367:Cotinine; D054804:Cathelicidins