Bone Abstracts

Aim: Periodontologists all over the world are more and more interested in connection between pathogenesis of aggressive periodontitis (AP) and calcium and vitamin D metabolic disturbances. Vitamin D besides its direct effect on calcium homeostasis, has immunomodulatory action, that makes interesting the study of vitamin D effect on pathogenesis of AP.

Materials and methods: We studied 102 (49 males; 53 females) patients with AP (40.32±1.13), 42 patients without AP in control group (41.41±0.96). The main criteria of patient selection were an early onset of the disease (18–20). Dental status was defined by clinical indexes. Laboratory assessment of mineral metabolism included: calcium total, calcium ionized, parathormone, calcitonin, vitamin D (25-??-D), osteocalcin, β-CrossLaps. StatPlus software, descriptive statistics methods (Student criterion) were used for statistical assessment of the results. The significance level was determined to be P<0.05.

Results: Statistically significant differences of bone turnover indices in patients with AP in comparison with control group were detected: statistically significant increase of ionized calcium level in blood in patients with AP (1.15±0.01 mmol/l, P<0.05) vs control indices was observed in case of increased level of parathormone (53.91±2.56 ph/ml) and decreased level of calcitonin (2.85±0.22 ng/l P<0.05). Decrease of osteocalcin level (5.89±0.49 ng/ml, P<0.05), which indicates inhibition of osteoblastic function and hence disturbances of osteogenesis was observed. 25-OH-D level was significantly lower in AP patients than in control (15.64±1.93 ng/ml, ?<0.05).

Conclusion: In summary, our study has shown that disturbance of calcium homeostasis characterized by increase of ionized calcium associated with imbalance of calcium-regulating hormones (increase of parathormone and decrease of calcitonin) is observed in patients with AP. Statistically significant decrease of osteocalcin level confirms inhibition of osteoblasic function and the shift of remodeling process towards osteoclastic resorption. That can be connected with the revealed lack of vitamin D in AP patients.