Evaluation of treatment effectiveness for chronic catarrhal gingivitis in military personnel based on salivary biomarker dynamics

Background. Chronic catarrhal gingivitis in military personnel represents a distinct clinical challenge, resulting from the combination of persistent inflammatory processes in the periodontal tissues and significant psycho-emotional stress, which limits the effectiveness of conventional therapeutic approaches. The application of oral fluid biomarker analysis provides an objective quantitative assessment of therapeutic dynamics, reflecting the state of immune homeostasis and the activity of stressmediated pathogenic mechanisms. Purpose – to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment for chronic catarrhal gingivitis in military personnel by analyzing the dynamics of the inflammatory-destructive index, salivary lysozyme activity, and cortisol levels in oral fluid. Materials and Methods. As part of the study, 22 military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine diagnosed with chronic catarrhal gingivitis were examined. Participants were stratified into two groups: the main group (n = 12), which received comprehensive treatment tailored to their psychoemotional status, and the control group (n = 10), which received conventional therapy. The study assessed the dynamics of the inflammatory-destructive index, lysozyme activity, and cortisol levels in oral fluid. Results. As a result of the conducted study, it was established that in patients of the main group, after 3 months of treatment according to our proposed protocol, the inflammatory-destructive index decreased from 19.12 ± 2.04 to 4.86 ± 1.31 (–74.61%, p<0.05), lysozyme activity increased from 4.87 ± 0.14 to 6.08 ± 0.13 ng/mL (+24.84%, p<0.05), and cortisol levels decreased from 19.84 ± 3.00 to 13.42 ± 2.51 nmol/L (–32.36%, p=0.01). In the control group, changes were less pronounced: the inflammatorydestructive index decreased by only 12.5%, lysozyme activity remained at 4.87 ± 0.15 ng/mL on day 30, while cortisol increased to 25.35 ± 3.49 nmol/L. It is noteworthy that positive dynamics in the main group were already evident by day 30 (inflammatory-destructive index –17.65%, lysozyme +13.34%, cortisol –25.3%), indicating early restoration of local immune defense and reduction of stress load. Conclusions. Thus, the therapeutic regimen we propose promotes the restoration of the homeostatic profile of oral fluid biomarkers and inhibits the activity of cytoinflammatory processes in the periodontal tissues of military personnel, indicating its efficacy as a pathogenetically justified treatment strategy for chronic catarrhal gingivitis.