Response of Salivary Interleukin-6 to Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy in Patients with Periodontitis: A Sub-Saharan Experience

Background: Periodontitis is a multifactorial infection and inflammatory disease caused by an interplay between bacterial plaque and host immune response. Its pathogenesis is associated with a rise in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. However, the use of salivary cytokine is not popular in determining the outcome of non-surgical periodontal therapy. The study aimed to assess how salivary IL-6 level responds to non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) among patients in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methodology: In this prospective study, 49 patients with periodontitis (Group A) and 49 participants without periodontitis (Group B) were included. Baseline measurements of oral hygiene index (OHIS), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PPD), number of sites with PPD ≥ 4 mm, and clinical attachment loss (CAL) were taken and compared to measurements at 3 months post non-surgical periodontal treatment (NSPT). Additionally, unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected before and after treatment to determine the salivary level of IL-6 using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study used bivariate and multivariate analyses to assess the response of salivary IL-6 to NSPT. Results were considered statistically significant if P < 0.05.

Results: Ninety-eight participants, ranging in age from 19 to 58 years old with a mean age of 32.55 ± 10.11 years, were included in the study. Both groups were comparable in terms of age, education, and socio-economic status, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2.2. Group A had a statistically significant (p=0.001) higher concentration of salivary IL-6 (17.41 ± 3.39 pg/ml) than Group B (7.05 ± 1.37 pg/ml) at the baseline. After treatment, Group A showed a noticeable improvement in all periodontal parameters and a decrease in the concentration of salivary IL-6. However, the correlation between the percentage change in the concentration of salivary IL-6 and the percentage change in PPD, CAL, and the number of sites with PPD ≥ 4 after NSPT was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: The concentration of IL-6 in saliva significantly decreased in participants with periodontitis after non-surgical periodontal treatment.