Objectives: This study aimed to estimate and compare changes in the cementum-specific biomarker, Cementum Protein-1 (CEMP-1), in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and the severity of orthodontically induced root resorption (OIRR), assessed radiographically, in patients undergoing orthodontic retraction with or without midline mini-implants. A secondary objective was to evaluate the influence of overall treatment duration on the extent of orthodontic root resorption. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study consisted of 40 patients divided into two groups with equal gender distribution: Group 1 underwent retraction of anterior teeth following first premolar extraction, while Group 2 underwent simultaneous intrusion and retraction using midline mini-implants. GCF samples were collected at T1 (before treatment), T2 (beginning of retraction), T3 (3 months after start of retraction), and T4 (end of treatment). The samples were assayed using ELISA Kits specific for the biomarker. Radiovisiography (RVG) of the anterior maxillary teeth was obtained at T1, T3, and T4 to assess root resorption. Results: At T1, CEMP-1 levels were comparable in the two groups. The biomarker levels increased over time in both groups. At T4, Group 2 had significantly higher biomarker levels compared to Group 1. RVG at T4 revealed a statistically significant increase in grading of root resorption in both groups ( P < 0.05) with a higher mean difference in Group 2 (2 ± 0.21). Conclusion: Elevated levels of CEMP-1 in GCF are associated with greater degrees of apical root resorption and are promising noninvasive prognostic biomarkers for monitoring OIRR in orthodontic patients. Moreover, an increase in duration of treatment was found to increase OIRR.
Antony et al. (Thu,) studied this question.