Lipid peroxidation levels and total oxidant status in serum, saliva and gingival crevicular fluid in patients with chronic periodontitis

Objectives: Increased levels of reactive oxygen species lead to oxidative stress. Recent data suggest increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels and oxidative stress in periodontitis. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a significant LPO product, increases in oxidative stress. In this study, MDA levels and total oxidant status (TOS) in serum, saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were investigated in patients with chronic periodontitis (CP). Materials and Methods: Thirty-six CP patients and 28 periodontally healthy controls were included in the study. Following clinical measurements and samplings, MDA and TOS levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and a novel automatic colorimetric method, respectively. Results: While the saliva and GCF MDA levels, and serum, saliva and GCF TOS values were significantly higher in the CP group than the control group (p < 0.05), no significant difference in serum MDA levels was found (p > 0.05). Strong positive correlations were observed between periodontal parameters and MDA and TOS levels (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results revealed that LPO significantly increased locally in the periodontal pocket/oral environment, while TOS displayed both systemic and local increases in periodontitis. The findings suggest that increased LPO and TOS may play an important role in the pathology of periodontitis, and are closely related to the clinical periodontal status.