ACUTE-PHASE PROTEINS IN GINGIVAL CREVICULAR FLUID DURING EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED GINGIVITIS

The dynamics of four acute-phase proteins were investigated in gingiva l crevicular fluid (GCF) during the course of a 21 day experimental gi ngivitis study. These acute-phase proteins were the protease inhibitor s alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2-M) and alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-A T) and the iron-binding proteins transferrin (TF) and lactoferrin (LF) . 6 healthy volunteers ceased all oral hygiene procedures for 3 weeks. GCF was sampled at seven day intervals from two sites per subject by paper strips for 30 s during the experimental gingivitis period and fo r two additional weeks after the reinstitution of oral hygiene. The ma inly serum derived alpha 2-M, alpha 1-AT and TF exhibited very similar dynamics which reflects their common origin in GCF. Their levels incr eased significantly from baseline and remained high for at least one w eek after the reinstitution of oral hygiene measures (repeated measure s MANOVA; alpha 2-M: p=0.015; alpha 1-AT: p=0.012; TF: p=0.02). This p robably reflects increased vascular permeability in the gingivae and, to a lesser degree, local production by gingival inflammatory cells. I n contrast to the serum derived acute-phase proteins, the neutrophil d erived LF rose significantly from baseline (repeated measures MANOVA; p=0.001) but dropped rapidly after the reinstitution of oral hygiene m easures. This could be because denial plaque was removed and thus neut rophil chemotactic agents in the crevice were decreased.