Evaluation of t-PA, PAI-2, IL-1ß and PGE2 in gingival crevicular fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients with periodontal disease

PubMed ID: 16856901Aims: This study was undertaken to compare periodontal conditions, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), its inhibitor plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and control groups. Methods: Twenty-three RA patients, 17 systemically healthy patients with periodontal disease (PD), and 17 systemically and periodontally healthy subjects were recruited. GCF samples were obtained from two single-rooted teeth. Full-mouth clinical periodontal measurements were recorded at six sites/tooth. GCF samples were analysed using relevant ELISA kits. Data were tested statistically by appropriate tests. Results: Total amounts of t-PA, PAI-2 and PGE2 in GCF samples of the healthy control group were significantly lower than the other groups (p0.05). Conclusion: The coexistence of RA and periodontitis does not seem to affect clinical periodontal findings or systemic markers of RA. Similar inflammatory mediator levels in RA and PD groups, despite the long-term usage of corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, suggest that RA patients may have a propensity to overproduce these inflammatory mediators. © 2006 The Authors