Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the utility of plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) as marker of periodontal disease by estimating TAC of periodontally healthy and chronic periodontitis patients and the impact of scaling and root planning on total antioxidant status of periodontitis patients.
Materials and methods: Blood plasma samples were collected from randomly selected eighty individuals (40 periodontally healthy controls and 40 chronic periodontitis patients), with an age range of 20-45 years and were analyzed for TAC by ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. Scaling and root planing was performed in periodontitis patients, and TAC level was measured again after 3 weeks. Data were analyzed with t-test, using SPSS software (PSAW, Windows version 18.0).
Results: The mean plasma TAC was significantly lower (792.33 ± 124.33 μmol/L, P < 0.001) in chronic periodontitis patients compared to healthy control (1076.08 ± 193.82 μmol/L). Plasma TAC level increased significantly (989.75 ± 96.80, P < 0.001) after scaling and root planing.
Conclusions: An inverse relationship exists between plasma TAC and severity of chronic periodontitis suggesting disturbed oxidant-antioxidant balance in chronic periodontitis. Scaling and root planing resulted in the restoration of TAC to normal levels. These results are important from the perspective of including antioxidants in periodontal therapy regime to boost up body's antioxidant defense system and to reduce oxidative stress-mediated periodontal tissue damage. We concluded that TAC can be used as a biomarker to evaluate the health of periodontium.
Keywords: Antioxidants; chronic periodontitis; lipid peroxidation; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species; total antioxidant capacity.