Advances in Dental Research, Vol 8, 329-336, Copyright © 1994 by International & American Associations for Dental Research
Gingival crevicular fluid: biomarkers of periodontal tissue activity
G. Embery and R. Waddington
Department of Basic Dental Science, Dental School, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
The lack of precise clinical criteria for assessment of periodontal disease
has led to a search for alternative means of determining active disease
sites, prognosis of future sites of breakdown, and response to therapy.
This review highlights the potential array of biomarkers present in
gingival crevicular fluid and which may relate to existing or predicted
tissue regions undergoing metabolic change and derived from bacterial or
host-cell-derived products. Among the former may be listed endotoxin,
amines, butyrate, and a variety of enzymes and their inhibitors, such as
trypsin-like proteases and bacterial collagenase. Arising from host cells
is a variety of leucocytic hydrolase enzymes, lactoferrin, and lysozyme.
These appear to be useful inflammatory markers and may be distinguished
from products of connective tissue breakdown which include collagenous and
non-collagenous products, including collagen peptides, osteonectin, and
fibronectin. The proteoglycans have found particular favor as biomarkers of
possible bone-resorptive activity. Attention has also been directed at the
immune response, including comment on immunoglobulins, complement,
eicosanoids, and cytokines. This review lists available information on the
presence of these in gingival sulcus fluid and wherever possible relates
their presence to disease activity.
