The comparison of the salivary concentration of interleukin‑17 and interleukin‑18 in patients with chronic periodontitis and healthy individuals

Abstract

Background: Regarding the prevalence and importance of periodontal disease and the potential of
salivary biomarkers for the early diagnosis of these diseases, this study was conducted to compare
salivary concentrations of Interleukin‑17 (IL‑17) and Interleukin‑18 (IL‑18) in patients with chronic
periodontitis and healthy individuals.
Materials and Methods: The present research was a descriptive–analytical and also a cross‑sectional
study. Unstimulated saliva with full‑mouth clinical periodontal recordings were obtained from
20 healthy individuals and 20 individuals with chronic periodontitis. The concentrations of salivary
IL‑17 and IL‑18 were determined using the enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assays. The nonparametric
Mann–Whitney U‑test was used for statistical analysis of the findings. Alpha level was set at 0.05.
Results: The mean salivary concentration of IL‑18 in patients with chronic periodontitis
was 143.10 pg/mL, which was higher than the same concentration in healthy controls
(78.33 pg/mL), (P = 0.035). The mean salivary concentration of IL‑17 in patients with chronic
periodontitis and healthy controls was 3.51 and 4.57 pg/mL, respectively, and there was no difference
between the two groups (P = 0.283).
Conclusion: Within the limitations of the present study, it may be suggested that an elevated salivary
IL‑18 level in chronic periodontitis patients has the potential to be a biomarker for periodontal
tissue destruction.