Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy and Cardiac Biomarkers in Stable Angina

Periodontitis is a chronic, multifactorial inflammatory disease characterized by progressive destruction of the periodontal tissues and alveolar bone surrounding the teeth. It develops as a result of dysbiosis of the oral microbiota and an altered host immune response. Dental plaque is the primary etiological factor, and anaerobic periodontal pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola play a major role in disease progression.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and periodontitis are both major global health problems and share several common risk factors, including smoking, diabetes mellitus, obesity, poor oral hygiene, and chronic inflammation. Although establishing a direct causal relationship between the two conditions is challenging, increasing evidence suggests that periodontitis may contribute to endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerotic plaque instability, and an increased risk of cardiovascular events.

Two main biological mechanisms have been proposed to explain the association between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease. The first is a direct mechanism involving the translocation of periodontal pathogens into the bloodstream and their interaction with vascular endothelial cells. Periodontal bacteria and their components have been detected in atherosclerotic plaques, suggesting a potential role in plaque formation and progression. The second mechanism is indirect and involves systemic inflammation. Periodontitis induces a chronic inflammatory response characterized by elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines and acute-phase proteins, which may promote atherosclerosis through endothelial dysfunction, altered lipid metabolism, and increased oxidative stress.

Stable angina pectoris is a clinical manifestation of coronary artery disease caused by reduced blood flow to the myocardium, typically due to atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. It is characterized by predictable chest pain or discomfort that occurs during physical exertion or emotional stress and is relieved by rest or medication. Although stable angina is generally less acute than unstable angina, it remains a serious condition requiring appropriate management to reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Non-surgical periodontal therapy is the first-line treatment for periodontal disease and includes scaling and root planing to remove supragingival and subgingival plaque and calculus. This treatment aims to reduce the periodontal inflammatory burden, improve periodontal clinical parameters, and restore periodontal tissue health. Previous studies have shown that effective non-surgical periodontal therapy may also reduce systemic inflammatory markers and improve surrogate markers of early atherosclerosis.

In the present study, cardiovascular-related biomarkers are evaluated to explore the systemic effects of periodontal therapy. Ischemia-modified albumin(IMA) is a circulating biomarker that reflects ischemia-related structural changes in albumin and has been associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease risk. Elevated serum IMA levels have been reported in individuals with periodontitis and have been shown to decrease following periodontal treatment.

Soluble ST2 is a member of the interleukin-1 receptor family and acts as a decoy receptor for interleukin-33, thereby modulating inflammatory and cardioprotective signaling pathways. Increased serum sST2 levels have been associated with adverse outcomes in cardiovascular disease and heart failure. While limited data exist on the relationship between periodontitis and sST2 levels, preliminary evidence suggests that periodontal inflammation and its treatment may influence sST2 expression.

This clinical study aims to evaluate changes in cardiovascular biomarkers, including IMA and sST2, before and after routine non-surgical periodontal therapy in adults with stable angina and in cardiovascularly healthy individuals. By comparing biomarker levels and periodontal clinical parameters at baseline and after treatment, the study seeks to improve understanding of the potential role of periodontal therapy in cardiovascular health.