Decreased salivary concentration of CD9 and CD81 exosome-related tetraspanins may be associated with the periodontal clinical status

Aim This cross-sectional case-control study was designed to determine the association of the salivary concentration of CD9/CD81 exosome-related tetraspanins with the periodontal clinical status. Materials and Methods Saliva samples from 104 periodontitis patients and 45 healthy controls were collected. Periodontal status was assessed based on full-mouth clinico-radiographical data, and salivary concentration of the analytes was calculated by ELISA. The association between the biomarkers with disease status was analysed using multivariate binary logistic regression models. Results Significantly decreased salivary levels of CD9 and CD81 exosomes were detected in periodontitis patients in comparison with healthy controls. Also, negative significant correlations between salivary concentrations of CD9/CD81 exosomes regarding clinical measurements were observed. Likewise, a significant downward trend of the concentration of these two biomarkers concerning the stage and grade of disease could be identified. Logistic regression analyses revealed a strong/independent association for decreased salivary concentration of CD81 exosomes regarding disease status. Confounding and interaction effects between age and salivary concentration of CD9 exosomes were also noted. Conclusion Reduced salivary concentration of CD9/CD81 exosomes might be of significance in the context of periodontal disease pathogenesis.