A systematic review and meta-analyses on C-reactive protein in relation to periodontitis

Aim: Elevated plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) is regarded as a risk predictor for cardiovascular diseases. This systematic review explored the robustness of observations that CRP is elevated in periodontitis. Similarly, the effect of periodontal therapy on CRP levels was investigated. Material and Methods: Selection of publications was based on: (1) cross-sectional (case-control) studies; (2) longitudinal (treatment) studies; (3) high-sensitivity CRP measurement; (4) median and/or mean (±SD) values presented; and (5) subjects with no systemic disorders. Results: Screening of the initially 448 identified studies and reference checking resulted in 18 suitable papers. The majority of the studies showed that CRP levels are higher in patients than in controls. Often, studies showed that patients had CRP levels >2.1 mg/l. A meta-analysis of 10 cross-sectional studies showed that the weighted mean difference (WMD) of CRP between patients and controls was 1.56 mg/l (p