Gingival crevicular fluid and salivary HIF-1α, VEGF, and TNF-α levels in periodontal health and disease

• Published in: Journal of periodontology (1970) Vol. 90; no. 7; p. 788
• Main Authors: Afacan, Beral, Öztürk, Veli Özgen, Paşalı, Çiğdem, Bozkurt, Emir, Köse, Timur, Emingil, Gülnur
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.2019
• Subjects: Aggressive Periodontitis; Case-Control Studies; Chronic Periodontitis; Gingival Crevicular Fluid; Gingivitis; Humans; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; saliva; gingival crevicular fluid; cytokines; periodontitis
• ISSN: 1943-3670
• DOI: 10.1002/JPER.18-0412

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is expressed as an adaptive response to hypoxia, mediates angiogenesis through the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and can be induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). This study aimed to investigate the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and salivary HIF-1α, VEGF, and TNF-α levels in periodontal health and disease. A total of 87 individuals, 20 generalized aggressive periodontitis (G-AgP), 20 chronic periodontitis (CP), 26 gingivitis patients, and 21 periodontally healthy individuals, were included. Clinical periodontal parameters were recorded; GCF and salivary samples were collected; and HIF-1α, VEGF, and TNF-α levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Nonparametric tests were used for the statistical analyses. G-AgP and CP groups had significantly higher GCF HIF-1α, VEGF, and TNF-α total amounts than gingivitis and healthy groups (P < 0.05). GCF HIF-1α and TNF-α total amounts in gingivitis group were significantly higher than the healthy group (P < 0.05). GCF and salivary concentrations of biomarkers were similar in both periodontitis groups (P > 0.05). Salivary HIF-1α concentrations in gingivitis group were significantly higher than G-AgP and healthy groups (P < 0.05). GCF HIF-1α, VEGF, and TNF-α total amounts were positively correlated with the site-specific clinical periodontal parameters and with each other (P < 0.05). HIF-1α is detectable in GCF and saliva of periodontally diseased and healthy individuals, and the GCF levels of the biomarker can be affected by disease status. Increased GCF HIF-1α, VEGF, and TNF-α levels in both chronic and aggressive form of periodontitis might suggest the role of TNF-α/HIF-1α/VEGF pathway in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases.