Evaluation of the role of mitofusin-1 and mitofusin-2 in periodontal disease.

BACKGROUND: Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum are key cellular organelles and create contact sites (mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum contact [MERC]), which plays a major role in calcium metabolism, apoptotic processes, and inflammation. Previously, proteins that have been associated with these MERC contact sites mitofusin-1 (MFN1) and mitofusin-2 (MFN2) have been found to be downregulated in periodontal disease in vitro. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate MFN1 and MFN2 in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients with periodontal disease compared with healthy controls clinically. METHODS: A total of 48 participants were divided into three groups including periodontally healthy (n = 16), patients with gingivitis (n = 16), and patients with stage 3 grade B periodontitis (n = 16). GCF levels of MFN1, MFN2, calcium (Ca), caspase-1, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results were calculated as total amount and concentration. RESULTS: MFN1 levels (total amount) were significantly higher in patients with periodontitis and gingivitis when compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05). However, concentration levels of MFN1, MFN2, Ca, caspase-1, TNF-α significantly decreased in periodontal disease groups compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05). A positive correlation was detected among all evaluated markers (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The MERC protein MFN1 may have a role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease due to its increase in GCF of patients with periodontitis and gingivitis.

Oral and post-transplantation infectious status in patients with hematopoietic stem cell transplants: A prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Infectious status may be life threatening in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral status on infectious conditions during the neutropenic phase after HSCT. STUDY DESIGN: Seventy patients with various hematologic malignancies were involved. Before HSCT, oral and periodontal examination, including the number of teeth and decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (DMFT); visible plaque (%); bleeding on probing (BOP [%]); clinical attachment level; and probing depth (PD) values were collected. Daily blood cultures were collected and analyzed in terms of infection-related parameters, including febrile neutropenia (FN), bacteremia, and C-reactive protein (CRP) during the neutropenic phase of HSCT. RESULTS: Forty-two patients (60%) received autologous and 28 (40%) allogeneic HSCT. In both groups, patients without FN after HSCT had significantly lower DMFT index scores and fewer sites with PD ≥4 mm (P < .05). However, bacteremia, FN, and CRP were similar in patients with periodontitis compared with non-periodontitis patients (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that periodontal status may not significantly impact the infection-related parameters in patients treated for HSCT. However, DMFT and the prevalence of sites with PD ≥4 mm may be involved in febrile neutropenia.

Impact of periodontal status on the oral mucositis in patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: Oral mucositis (OM) is a frequent complication of cancer treatments. Oral mucositis and periodontal disease have a common inflammatory pattern. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the OM and its association with periodontal status in patients with hematologic malignancies who undergo high-dose chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-five patients who received high-dose chemotherapy were included in the study. Full-mouth periodontal clinical measurements including plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), clinical attachment level (CAL), and probing depth (PD) values were recorded before the condition chemotherapy regime. OM monitoring was initiated 1 day after the chemotherapy and maintained for 20 days. RESULTS: Twenty-two of patients (40%) were observed oral mucositis after high-dose chemotherapy. Patients with mucositis had significantly higher GI scores than those who did not have mucositis (p < 0.05). There was a significantly moderate positive correlation between the grade of mucositis and GI scores (p < 0.05). In patients with periodontitis, the incidence of grade 1-2 mucositis was significantly higher than in the healthy group (p < 0.05). In individuals with periodontitis and gingivitis, the healing duration of mucositis was significantly longer than the healthy group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that the severity grades of oral mucositis may increase in patients with gingival inflammation. The results also suggest that periodontal diseases may have a significant impact on the duration of oral mucositis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The current study contributes to our understanding of the importance of oral health status in reducing the occurrence, severity, and duration of OM in hematological cancer patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy.

The influence of diabetes mellitus on the peri-implant microflora: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an important systemic disease, predisposing patients to inflammatory conditions including periodontitis and peri-implantitis and negatively affects dental implant success through various mechanisms. This study aimed to compare clinical and microbiological findings of individuals with dental implants with or without T2DM. Methods: A total of 82 dental implants which were in function >3 years, were involved. The participants were divided into 2 groups; T2DM (n: 45 implants) and systemically healthy controls (n:37 implants). Periodontal indexes (Bleeding on probing (BOP), plaque index (PI), pocket depth (PD), and radiographic bone loss were recorded around implants in function >3 years. Subgingival microbiological samples were also collected from the peri-implant sites. Pathogens include Fusobacterium nucleatum, Camphylobacter rectus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia, Peptostreptococcus micros, Eikinella corrodens, Prevotella nigrescens were evaluated. Results: Peri-implant heatlh was determined in systemically healthy (54.1%) and type 2 diabetes patients (24.4%). Peri-implantitis was also evident in systemically healthy (8.1%) and T2DM (35.6%) groups. No differences was found in shallow peri-implant pockets in both groups in terms of the prevelance of all evaluated bacteria (p > 0.05). However, C. rectus, P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans and T. forsythia were isolated more frequently in deep peri-implant pockets in systemically healthy patients compared to T2DM patients (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Evaluted periodontal pathogens may not be affected by the presence of T2DM in implants. T2DM may not significantly alter the levels of specific periodontal pathogens in shallow and deep peri-implant pockets. C. rectus, P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans and T. forsythia may be affected by T2DM in implants in deep pockets.