Background: This report is a further analysis of a study designed to determine clinical and microbial risk indicators for progressing periodontitis.
Methods: One hundred ninety subjects who were periodontally healthy or had early signs of periodontitis (age range: 20 to 40 years) were monitored clinically at 6-month intervals followed by supragingival cleaning. At each visit, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and blood were collected for determination of interleukin (IL)-1β content (in GCF) and IL-1 genotype (in blood). Interproximal sites with a >1.5-mm increase in clinical attachment over 18 months were considered disease active. Characteristics were compared between active and inactive subjects.
Results: IL-1β levels in GCF increased with the severity of disease and correlated well with clinical signs of incipient disease. However, the IL-1 genotype did not show any significant associations with disease or the extent of disease.
Conclusion: Indicators of inflammation may be important clinical determinants of future periodontal disease progression, but the IL-1 genotype was not a risk indictor for early (slight) periodontitis as defined in this subject population.