Periodontitis is a chronic disease with a high overall prevalence. It involves a complex interplay between the immune-inflammatory pathways and biofilm changes, leading to periodontal attachment loss. The aims of this study were (i) to assess whether the salivary IL-1β, IL-17A, RANK-L and OPG levels have the potential to discriminate between the mild and severe periodontitis conditions; and (ii) to enable diagnostic/prognostic actions to differentiate between distinct levels of the disease. The analysis of the clinical parameters and the evaluation of the salivary immunomediators levels by means of a multiplex flow assay revealed a statistically significantly higher level of IL-1β in the periodontitis III/IV patients, as well as a higher level of RANK-L in the periodontitis III/IV and I/II patients, when compared to the healthy controls. Furthermore, the grade C periodontitis patients presented a significantly higher level of RANK-L compared to the grade B and grade A patients. In the grade C patients, IL-1β had a positive correlation with the PPD and CAL indices and RANK_L had a positive correlation with CAL. The evidence emerging from this study associates the salivary IL-1β and RANK-L levels with an advanced stage of periodontitis, stage III/IV, and with grade C, suggesting the possible cooperative action of both in the inflammatory and bone loss events. In addition to IL-1β, RANK-L could be considered a combined diagnostic biomarker for periodontitis.

Background/Objectives: Gingival recession (GR) has a multifactorial etiology, resulting from the interaction of various factors. It affects aesthetics and comfort, and has negative consequences for quality of life. The main objective of this study is to investigate the prevalence of gingival recession in a sample of the population in northern Portugal, according to the classification system proposed by Cairo. The secondary objective is to investigate possible risk factors for the prevalence of gingival recession. Methods: This observational study analyzed 50 patients who met all our inclusion criteria. Participants underwent a clinical periodontal examination and completed a questionnaire. Results: On the lingual/palatine side, recession type 2 (RT2) was the most prevalent (39.1%), and on the buccal side, recession type 3 (RT3) was the most prevalent (37.7%). Statistically significant differences were found in the occurrence of RT3 on both sides, buccal and lingual/palatine, which was higher in patients over 65. Buccal side RT2 and buccal and lingual/palatine side RT3 were more prevalent in males. Buccal side RT2 was more prevalent in ex-smokers compared to nonsmokers. RT3 was more prevalent in ex-smokers compared to smokers and nonsmokers. Most patients have gingival recession with loss of interproximal attachment. Conclusions: Older age, male gender, high plaque levels, and smoking habits are considered risk factors.

Background/Objectives: The interplay between oral and systemic diseases is highlighted by the shared inflammatory mechanisms and epidemiological associations between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Building on previous syntheses of the effect of periodontal therapy on RA disease activity, we sought to refine the evidence base through strict restriction to randomized controlled trials (RCTs), separate analysis of the two non-interchangeable formulations of the Disease Activity Score on 28 joints (DAS28-CRP and DAS28-ESR, based on either C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate, respectively), and inclusion of recent randomized trials. We aimed to determine whether the first two steps of periodontal therapy (steps 1 and 2 of the 2020 EFP S3-level clinical practice guideline), delivered through supragingival professional mechanical plaque removal and subgingival instrumentation, reduce DAS28 in adults with concurrent RA and periodontitis. Methods: The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261400735). Five databases were searched in accordance with PRISMA 2020. Only RCTs were eligible. Risk of bias was assessed with RoB-2. DAS28-CRP and DAS28-ESR were analyzed in separate random-effects forest plots. Sensitivity analyses addressed adjunctive antibiotics and high baseline disease activity. Results: Ten trials (n = 430 randomized patients) were included. At 3 months, DAS28-CRP was significantly reduced (between-group MD = −0.84, 95% CI −1.38 to −0.29; change-from-baseline MD = −0.55, −0.92 to −0.19). On DAS28-ESR at 3 months, the change-from-baseline estimate was significant (MD = −1.27, −2.22 to −0.31) and the follow-up estimate concordant in direction but not significant (MD = −0.89, −1.85 to 0.07), with substantial heterogeneity. Conclusions: Periodontal therapy may be associated with short-term reductions in RA disease activity, particularly DAS28-CRP at 3 months, with directionally concordant but less certain effects on DAS28-ESR. The evidence remains limited by small sample sizes, risk of bias, substantial heterogeneity of the DAS28-ESR estimates, and sparse follow-up beyond 3 months. As no trial reported individual responder categories, these group-level findings support periodontal therapy as a possible adjunctive measure in RA rather than a predictable, clinically meaningful benefit at the individual patient level.

ResumoPorphyromonas gingivalis é uma bactéria anaeróbia estrita presente em diversas formas de doença periodontal. A sua patogenicidade está dependente de factores de virulência tais como fímbrias, lipopolissacarídeo, produção de toxinas entre outros, que levam à colonização da placa subgengival com consequente invasão e destruição dos tecidos.Na última década, vários têm sido os trabalhos de investigação desenvolvidos no sentido de avaliar a importância deste microrganismo na doença periodontal, bem como o interesse do diagnóstico microbiológico na sua identificação.Este trabalho tem como objectivo a revisão das características desta bactéria que a tornam um potencial patogénico periodontal, focando a etiopatogenia, mecanismos de infecção, modos de transmissão e diagnóstico microbiológico. A metodologia utilizada foi uma revisão bibliográfica dos últimos 20 anos, de revistas indexadas como por exemplo Periodontology 2000, Journal of Clinical Periodontology e Oral Microbiology Immunology.AbstractPorphyromonas gingivalis is an anaerobic strict bacteria present in diverse forms of periodontal disease. Its pathogenicity is dependent on virulence factors such as fimbriae, lypopolysaccharide, toxin production among others, that take to the colonization of the subgingival biofilm, with consequent tissue invasion and destruction. In the last decade, many have been the works developed in a way to evaluate the importance of this micro organism in periodontal disease, as well as the interest of the microbiological diagnosis in its identification.This paper has the aim to make a revision of the characteristics of this bacteria that make her as a potential periodontal pathogenic, focusing on its etiopathogenicity, mechanisms of infection, ways of transmission and microbiological diagnosis.The methodology used was a bibliographical revision of the last 20 years, of indexed magazines as for example Periodontology 2000, Journal of Clinical Periodontology and Oral Microbiology Immunology