Salivary, blood and plasma nitrite concentrations in periodontal patients and healthy individuals before and after periodontal treatment

Abstract

BackgroundTo date, no study has employed ozone-based reductive chemiluminescence to compare nitrite concentration in the saliva of periodontal disease (PD) and healthy individuals or in the various blood compartments of the same individuals before and after periodontal treatment. We evaluated nitrite concentrations in whole, submandibular, and parotid saliva, as well as in whole blood, erythrocytes, and plasma of healthy volunteers and patients with chronic periodontitis. MethodsData obtained for the PD and control groups were compared before and 3months after periodontal therapy. ResultsAt baseline, stimulated whole saliva nitrite concentration was lower in PD patients (mean=57.3±9.8μmol/L) as compared with healthy individuals (92.5±13.6μmol/L, P<0.05). PD and periodontal treatment did not affect submandibular or parotid saliva nitrite concentrations. PD patients presented higher baseline whole blood nitrite concentration (238.4±45.7μmol/L) as compared with values recorded 3months after therapy (141.3±20.1nmol/L, P<0.05). PD patients' erythrocytes exhibited higher baseline nitrite concentration (573.1±97.8nmol/L) as compared with three months after therapy (298.7±52.1nmol/L, P<0.05). Again, PD and PD treatment did not impact plasma nitrite concentration. ConclusionsPD patients had lower nitrite concentration in whole saliva, and this situation remained unchanged after periodontal treatment. Nevertheless, erythrocytes and whole blood nitrite levels diminished after periodontal treatment.