Objective: To investigate whether adrenomedullin (ADM), a multifunctional peptide with key roles in host antimicrobial defence and inflammation, was present and quantifiable in human gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and to study its relationship with periodontal health and disease.
Design: GCF samples (30s) were collected using perio-paper strips from one diseased site in 21 subjects with periodontal disease and one healthy site from 19 control subjects with no evidence of periodontal disease. Samples were analysed by radioimmunoassay using a specific anti-human ADM antibody.
Results: Measurable adrenomedullin-like immunoreactivity (ADM-LI) was present in all the GCF samples collected. ADM-LI was significantly higher in periodontitis sites (mean 493.6 pg) than in control healthy sites (mean 248.5 pg), p = 0.0016.
Conclusion: It is concluded that ADM is present in GCF at levels at which it could have an antibacterial role in the gingival crevice and modulate the pathophysiology of periodontal inflammation.