Levels of Interleukin‐18 in Saliva and Gingival Crevicular Fluid in Patients with Chronic Periodontitis and Healthy Subjects

Aims: Cytokines play a key role in the initiation and progression of chronic periodontitis. This study aimed to measure and compare the levels of Interleukin (IL)-18 in both saliva and gingival cervicular fluid (GCF) of patients with chronic periodontitis and healthy controls.

Study Design: In this descriptive study we assessed the levels of IL-18 in unstimulated whole saliva and GCF samples among patients with chronic periodontitis and individuals with healthy periodontium.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of periodontology and Department of biochemistry, Services Institute of Shahid Sadughi University of Medical Science, between May 2015 and Jan 2016.
Methodology: Thirty two subjects were divided into two groups; 16 individuals with healthy periodontium and 16 patients with chronic periodontitis. GCF and saliva samples were obtained. The concentrations of IL-18 in GCF and saliva were determined using ELISAs.
Results: There was no significant difference between the levels of IL-18 in saliva and GCF samples among the study groups (Respectively P= 0.44 and P= 0.38). Also, significantly different was not observed while comparing the IL-18 level of saliva with the IL-18 level of GCF in both healthy subjects (P= 0.8) and patients with chronic periodontitis (P= 0.61).
Conclusion: Similar levels of IL-18 among study groups suggested that levels of IL-18 in saliva and GCF cannot be used as a predictable biomarker for early diagnosis of periodontal disease.