Ongoing research in animal models and human populations continues to implicate oral infections like periodontitis in the etiology of systemic conditions such as atherosclerosis and pre-term low birth weight. Indeed, the chronic and septic challenge posed by oral pathogens appears to perpetuate both the local and systemic release of inflammatory mediators leading to manifestations of disease at both levels. The proposed human cohort study aims 1) to determine the extent of systemic inflammatory responses in patients with advanced, end-stage oral injections; and 2) to evaluate changes in these responses following complete elimination and/or treatment of the oral infection. 195 patients meeting inclusion criteria will be recruited from the pool of patients seeking conventional, comprehensive care at UNC School of Dentistry Clinics. At baseline, patients will be categorized on one of four oral disease cohorts: 1) terminal dentition (i.e. most teeth requiring extraction) due to periodontitis (TD-P); 2) terminal dentition due to caries (TD-C); 3) terminal dentition due to periodontitis and caries (i.e., mixed) (TD-M); an 4) moderate to advanced adult periodontitis (AP) but with a salvageable dentition. Baseline data regarding patient demographics, medical and dental histories, oral health impact profile (OHIP) and oral health status (dental, periodontal and gingival crevicular fluid evaluations) will be collected. Thereafter, terminal dentition patients will be treated with prescribed extraction and prosthetic treatments. AP patients will be treated with conventional non-surgical therapy. At baseline (pretreatment) and at 2, 6, 26, and 52 weeks post-treatment, whole blood will be collected for all patients. Serum samples will be analyzed using ELISA techniques for the following groups of mediators: acute phase response reactants (IL-6, haptoglobin, LPS-binding protein and C-reactive protein), oxidative stress markers (8-epi-PGF2a) and homeocystein. In addition, serum fibrinogen levels and while blood counts will be reported as markers of hemostasis and hematology. Inter-group differences in mediator responses secondary to the interventions will be analyzed using repeated measures ANCOVA. If the data indicate a pronounced reduction in systemic inflammatory mediators following oral infection elimination (especially TD-P), protocols evaluating oral disease preventive interventions and systemic, clinical outcomes may be justified.
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