Diagnostic biomarkers for periodontitis (observational case-control study)

Background: Early detection of periodontal tissue loss prevents further development and halts additional damage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic ability of salivary Pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and deoxypyridinoline (DPD) in differentiating periodontitis from periodontal health. Material and method: A case-control included 80 participants who were divided into two groups: 40 periodontitis patients and 40 subjects with a healthy periodontium. Salivary samples were collected from each patient, followed by a clinical examination. The collected saliva samples were centrifuged and frozen at -80⁰C until analysis using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Results: the results indicated that both biomarkers were effective in diagnosis periodontitis. The area under the curve (AUC) for ICTP was 0.99 and the proposed cut-off point was 6.6 ng/ml, while for DPD the AUC was 0.95 and the proposed cut-off point was 211.5 nmol/L. Conclusion: Salivary ICTP and DPD demonstrated diagnostic ability in distinguishing periodontitis from a healthy periodontium, making them valuable tools in early detection and management of periodontal diseases.