A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF VARIOUS CREVICULAR FLUID COMPONENTS AS MARKERS OF PERIODONTAL-DISEASE ACTIVITY

In order to examine the relationship of possible crevicular biochemica l parameters to attachment loss (ALOSS), 330 sites from 8 untreated ad ult patients were monitored longitudinally at 3-month intervals, for u p to 1 year. Attachment levels were measured with a force-sensing prob e and an acrylic stent in duplicates at each study point. Crevicular s amples were collected and used for the determination of the following 11 markers: number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), prostagland in E(2) (PGE(2)), osteocalcin (OC), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), collag enase (COL), beta-glucuronidase(BG), antigenic and functional elastase (AEL and FEL), alpha-1 antitrypsin (alAT), alpha-2 macroglobulin (a2M ) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). 10 sites with ALOSS of greater than or equal to 1.5 mm per 3 months (active sites) and 43 sites with negligible changes (inactive sites) were identified. Total amounts of AIP, BG and COL were found to be significantly higher in active as co mpared to inactive sites, prior to significant ALOSS, without any sign ificant differences in crevicular fluid volume and clinical indices. W hen biochemical parameters were expressed as ratios to the number of P MNs, PGE(2)/PMNs was significantly elevated in active sites. The capac ity of such individual parameters to distinguish between active and in active sires was limited. However, linear discriminant analysis using total amounts of PGE(2), COL, ALP, a2M, OC and AEL showed more signifi cant diagnostic values (sensitivity: 80%, specificity: 91%). These fin dings suggest that the combination of several biochemical parameters i n crevicular fluid could give more information to predict future clini cal ALOSS.