Estimation of Pentraxin-3 Levels in the Gingival Tissues of Chronic and Aggressive Periodontitis Participants: An In Vivo Study

Background: Pentraxins are acute-phase proteins that belong to a family of evolutionarily conserved proteins, and they are considered markers of inflammation. Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) is a prototype of the long pentraxin group. It is suggested to play an important role in innate resistance against pathogens, regulation of inflammation, and clearance of apoptotic cells. The aim of this study is to estimate the level of PTX3 in gingival tissues of individuals with chronic (CP) and aggressive (AgP) periodontitis and control participants and further correlate the level of PTX3 with clinical parameters. Methods: The study population consisted of 50 participants ranging in age from 20 to 55 years and attending the outpatient section of Department of Periodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India. The study groups included the following: 1) group A, patients with generalized CP (n = 20); 2) group B (n = 20), patients with generalized AgP (GAgP); and 3) group C (n = 10), healthy controls. Tissue samples from participants were assayed for PTX3 levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Gingival tissues from patients with GAgP (8.349 +/- 5.076 ng/mL) had a higher mean concentration of PTX3 than tissues from patients with generalized CP (5.068 +/- 3.274 ng/mL) and controls (0.251 +/- 0.277). The PTX3 levels in the gingival tissues correlated positively with clinical parameters in all the groups. Among the parameters, probing depth was the most significant predictor variable associated with PTX3 in cases with periodontitis. Conclusions: PTX3 concentration in gingival tissues of patients with GAgP was higher than in tissues from patients with CP, and the levels correlated positively with clinical parameters. Hence, tissue PTX3 level can be considered a marker of inflammation in periodontal disease.