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Defense Date
2008
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Periodontics
First Advisor
Dr. Harvey A. Schenkein
Abstract
Evidence linking periodontitis and cardiovascular disease points to systemic inflammation as the primary etiology. The investigation into this association has focused on periodontitis as a low grade chronic infection, and subsequently, systemic inflammation and the cascade of numerous markers and mediators integrally involved in the human inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to measure the differences in circulating levels of C-reactive protein and human soluble CD40 ligand as markers and mediators of systemic inflammation in the serum of patients with moderate to severe periodontitis before, during, and after non-surgical periodontal therapy.Twenty-one patients were treated with full mouth scaling and root planing performed on two separate appointments spaced approximately 2 weeks apart. The third visit, an evaluation of non-surgical therapy, occurred 8 weeks after completion of scaling and root planing. Blood samples were procured from each patient at the first and second appointment prior to scaling and root planing and again at a third visit. CRP and sCD40 ligand levels were measured using ELISA. CRP levels remained relatively constant throughout the study maintaining a mean level of 2.44 mg/L at visit 1, 2.53 mg/L at visit 2, and 2.63 mg/L at visit 3. These differences were not statistically significant. sCD40 ligand mean levels were reported to be 847.7 pg/mL, 637.3 pg/mL, and 859.5 pg/mL, respectively for visits 1, 2, and 3. These values were not statistically significant. Within the limitations of this study, no evidence was found to directly relate non-surgical periodontal therapy with the lowering of systemic markers CRP and human soluble CD40 ligand.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
June 2008
VCU Only:
Off Campus Download
Comments
Part of Retrospective ETD Collection, restricted to VCU only.