title: Qualitative assessment of red blood cell parameters for signs of anemia in patients with chronic periodontitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anemia of chronic disease is defined as anemia occurring in chronic infections and inflammatory conditions that is not caused by marrow deficiencies or other diseases and in the presence of adequate iron stores and vitamins. The present case control study was aimed to assess the red blood cell parameters for signs of anemia in patients with mild, moderate, and severe chronic periodontitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A simple random sampling method was used to select 80 healthy male patients, who were divided into four groups based on full mouth periodontal examination as follows: group I patients comprised the control group (n = 20), which included patients with a clinically healthy periodontium, group II patients (n = 20) were diagnosed with mild chronic periodontitis, group III (n = 20) included moderate chronic periodontitis patients, and patients with severe chronic periodontitis formed group IV (n = 20). Laboratory blood investigations included total number of erythrocytes, hemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data analysis showed a statistically significant decrease in red blood cell parameters with increase in different grades of periodontitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of the present study show a substantial decrease in red blood cell parameters with increase in the severity of periodontal destruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Sri Sankara Dental College, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Nubesh S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Educare Institute of Dental Sciences, Malappuram, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Roji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luke
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Pushpagiri College of Dental Sciences, Thiruvalla, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Rino Roopak
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Soman
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, SRI Ramakrishna Dental College and Hospital, Coimbatore, India.
authors.forename: Praveen M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Krishna
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Malabar Dental College, Edappal, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Iqbal P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Safar
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Rajah Muthiah Dental College and Hospital, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Senthil Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Swaminathan
keywords: Anemia; chronic periodontitis; cytokines; hemoglobin; red; red blood cells