Histopathologic and histomorphometric studies and determination of IL-8 in patients with periodontal disease

BACKGROUND: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease characterized by connective tissue breakdown and alveolar bone resorption. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to make a quantitative evaluation of the gingival tissue components in biopsies from patients with different clinical states of periodontal disease and to determine the relationship between the presence of interleukin-8 and the tissue destruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 33 biopsies from adult subjects. A total of 25 periodontal patients were sub-classified on the basis of the clinical and radiographic criteria in mild, moderate and advanced periodontitis. Gingival samples were obtained from patients in the course of basic periodontal surgeries as a muco-periostic collate. Data were analyzed by the SPSS system. RESULTS: Collagen fibres decreased as non-specific chronic states increased. A lymphocyte inflammatory infiltrate changed to a lymphoplasmocytary form. Reactivity to interleukin-8 was detected with the severity of the histopathologic diagnoses; however there was no association with the clinical diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Histopathology and histomorphometry of gingival tissue changed with the degree of inflammation. No evidence of interleukin-8 as a biomarker for clinical diagnoses of periodontitis was obtained.