Comparative evaluation of sclerostin levels in gingival crevicular fluid of periodontal health and disease before and after nonsurgical periodontal therapy

Aim: The purpose of this study was to measure the concentration of sclerostin in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) before and after 1, 3, and 6 weeks of nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) in subjects with and without chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: An interventional study was conducted among 35 subjects of age groups 30–50 years. Subjects were divided into three groups: Group I (10 healthy individuals), Group II (10 gingivitis), and Group III (15 chronic periodontitis only). Clinical parameters assessed were gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment level (CAL). The GCF samples were collected from all the groups at baseline and in Group III at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 weeks after NSPT using micropipettes. Results: Table 1 shows age and gender details. Although the mean sclerostin concentration in GCF (ng/ml) was highest in Group III at baseline (5.41 ± 0.68) and lowest in Group 1 (4.98 ± 0.46), there was no statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) when intergroup comparison was done [Tables 2 and 3]. PPD and CAL measured for Group III were 6.93 + 1.2 and 7.67 + 1.2, respectively. PI (2.52 + 0.25) and GI (2.52 + 0.17) were measured highest in Group III [Table 4]. Conclusion: There was a substantial decrease in the concentration of sclerostin in the GCF of chronic periodontitis patients after 1, 3, and 6 weeks after NSPT. This proves sclerostin to be a responsive measure of inflammation in periodontal destruction.