Expression of Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 and Thrombospondin-1 in Gingival Crevicular Fluid of Patients with Periodontitis and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Purpose: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a heterogeneous spectrum of liver diseases that encompass simple steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. Periodontitis is a chronic infectious disease with multiple causal factors that presents a complex interaction between the microbial biofilm and the host's immune response. The aim of this study was to investigate the concentrations of Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 (VAP-1) and Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) in patients with coexisting periodontitis and NAFLD. Patients and Methods: This study included 48 patients, who were dental and periodontal assessed. Of these patients, 25 were diagnosed with NAFLD. After performing the periodontal clinical examination, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were collected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) dedicated kits tests were used for the detection and quantitative determination of VAP-1 and TSP-1 in GCF samples. Statistical methods were applied for the comparison and correlation of data. Results: VAP-1 and TSP-1 levels showed significant differences between all test and control groups (p<0.0001). Statistically significant correlations (p<0.05) between VAP-1 and periodontal and liver parameters were found in patients with NAFLD and periodontitis. Conclusion: Periodontal inflammation is more marked in patients with periodontitis-NAFLD association. Vascular adhesion and angiogenesis could be affected in patients with periodontitis and NAFLD. These findings could suggest that addressing periodontal inflammation in individuals with the periodontitis-NAFLD association may have a broader impact on vascular adhesion and angiogenesis, highlighting the interplay between oral health and liver conditions for comprehensive patient care.

Evaluation Through the Optical Coherence Tomography Analysis of the Influence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on the Gingival Inflammation in Periodontal Patients.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this ex vivo study is to exhibit the inflammatory changes that occur within the gingival tissue by using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in periodontal patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and if NAFLD could influence the local periodontal inflammation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Gingival tissue samples obtained from patients were divided into three groups - P (periodontitis), NAFLD+P (NAFLD+periodontitis) and H (healthy) groups - and were scanned using an OCT light beam, in order to perform a qualitative and quantitative analysis of images. The value of average pixel density has been associated with the degree of inflammation. RESULTS: The highest average pixel density was found in patients from the H group, while the lowest value of average pixel density was recorded in gingival tissue samples collected from patients with NAFLD+P. The image assessments from NAFLD+P group delivered lower values of average pixel density than those of P group, suggesting a possible influence of this disease on the inflammatory tissular changes produced by periodontal disease. CONCLUSION: After comparing the OCT analysis results obtained for the three groups of patients, we can consider that NAFLD may be an aggravating factor for the inflammation of periodontal disease.