title: Clinical and microbiological effects of systemic azithromycin in adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal therapy in treatment of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans associated periodontitis: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate clinical and microbiological effects of systemic azithromycin (AZM) in adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT; or scaling root planing - SRP) in treatment of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans associated periodontitis (AAAP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy individuals with moderate to severe periodontitis and subgingival detection of A. actinomycetemcomitans were randomly allocated to two groups. Thirty-five individuals were allocated to full mouth SRP+AZM (500 mg oral delivery (OD) × 3 days) while 35 individuals were allocated to SRP+Placebo (OD × 3 days) group. The clinical variables evaluated were probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), and percent bleeding on probing sites (%BOP), while microbiologic variables included percentage of subjects positive for A. actinomycetemcomitans at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AZM group showed statistically significant reduction in mean PD (2.91 ± 0.88 mm) as compared to placebo (1.51 ± 0.98 mm) (P < 0.001), while CAL gain was significant in the AZM group (2.71 ± 1.15 mm) as compared to the placebo group (1.71 ± 1.29 mm) (P < 0.001). There was also a statistically significant reduction in the number of subjects positive for A. actinomycetemcomitans in the AZM group (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Azithromycin was found to significantly improve the clinical and microbiological parameters in AAAP individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Santosh S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Martande
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Avani R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Pradeep
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Sonender P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Minal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumari
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Savitha B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Deepak Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Suke
authors.affiliation: Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India.
authors.forename: Priyanka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012534:Dental Scaling; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016871:Pasteurellaceae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000188:drug therapy; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000188:drug therapy; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016745:Root Planing
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin
keywords: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; nonsurgical periodontal therapy; systemic antibiotics