Local total antioxidant capacity in CP appears to reflect increased oxygen radical activity during periodontal inflammation and can be restored to control subject levels by successful non-surgical therapy.

Chronic periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the supporting tissues of the teeth. It is initiated by specific bacteria within the plaque biofilm and progresses due to an abnormal inflammatory-immune response to those bacteria. Periodontitis is the major cause of tooth loss and is also significantly associated with an increased risk of stroke, type-2 diabetes and atheromatous heart disease. Oxidative stress is reported in periodontitis both locally and peripherally (serum), providing potential mechanistic links between periodontitis and systemic inflammatory diseases. It is therefore important to examine serum antioxidant concentrations in periodontal health/disease, both at an individual species and total antioxidant (TAOC) level. To determine whether serum antioxidant concentrations were associated with altered relative risk for periodontitis, we used multiple logistic regression for dual case definitions (both mild and severe disease) of periodontitis in an analysis of 11,480 NHANES III adult participants (>20 y of age). Serum concentrations of vitamin C, bilirubin, and TAOC were inversely associated with periodontitis, the association being stronger in severe disease. Vitamin C and TAOC remained protective in never-smokers. Higher serum antioxidant concentrations were associated with lower odds ratios for severe periodontitis of 0.53 (CI, 0.42,0.68) for vitamin C, 0.65 (0.49,0.93) for bilirubin, and 0.63 (0.47,0.85) for TAOC. In the subpopulation of never-smokers, the protective effect was more pronounced: 0.38 (0.26,0.63, vitamin C) and 0.55 (0.33,0.93, TAOC). Increased serum antioxidant concentrations are associated with a reduced relative risk of periodontitis even in never-smokers.

The production of high levels of reactive oxygen species by neutrophils is associated with the local and systemic destructive phenotype found in the chronic inflammatory disease periodontitis. In the present study, we investigated the ability of sulforaphane (SFN) to restore cellular glutathione levels and reduce the hyperactivity of circulating neutrophils associated with chronic periodontitis. Using differentiated HL60 cells as a neutrophil model, here we show that generation of extracellular O2 . - by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADPH) oxidase complex is increased by intracellular glutathione depletion. This may be attributed to the upregulation of thiol regulated acid sphingomyelinase driven lipid raft formation. Intracellular glutathione was also lower in primary neutrophils from periodontitis patients and, consistent with our previous findings, patients neutrophils were hyper-reactive to stimuli. The activity of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a master regulator of the antioxidant response, is impaired in circulating neutrophils from chronic periodontitis patients. Although patients’ neutrophils exhibit a low reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidised glutathione (GSSG) ratio and a higher total Nrf2 level, the DNA-binding activity of nuclear Nrf2 remained unchanged relative to healthy controls and had reduced expression of glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLC), and modifier (GCLM) subunit mRNAs, compared to periodontally healthy subjects neutrophils. Pre-treatment with SFN increased expression of GCLC and GCM, improved intracellular GSH/GSSG ratios and reduced agonist-activated extracellular O2 . - production in both dHL60 and primary neutrophils from patients with periodontitis and controls. These findings suggest that a deficiency in Nrf2-dependent pathways may underpin susceptibility to hyper-reactivity in circulating primary neutrophils during chronic periodontitis.

Incorporation of additional formal pre-clinical teaching and introduction of an infection competency potentially provides enduring knowledge and clinical application benefits.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate oral health (OH) and periodontal diseases (PD) awareness in the Iraqi population. Material and methods: This study was a questionnaire-based online survey of two weeks duration. The questionnaire was built using a Google platform and was distributed randomly via social media (Facebook and Telegram). The questionnaire consisted of a demographic data section and two other main sections for the evaluation of OH and PD awareness. Each response was marked with "1" for a positive answer and "0" for the other answers. For each respondent, answers were summed to give an overall score. The frequency of positive responses was used to determine the association of awareness with demographic data and the level of awareness into low, moderate, and high levels. Results: A total of 1,465 were included in the final analysis after application of exclusion criteria. The respondents showed significantly higher levels of awareness about PD (mean ± SD = 3.66 ± 1.42) than OH awareness (mean ± SD = 2.19 ± 1.29). Analysis of data showed that OH awareness was mainly associated with high degree holders (OR 1.851) and age > 45 years (OR 1.730). However, PD awareness did not show any evident association with demographic variables investigated. In general, the respondents exhibited low levels of OH knowledge and low to moderate level of PD knowledge. Conclusions: Despite limitations, this study revealed inappropriate levels of OH and PD awareness and knowledge in the Iraqi population and provided the baseline data necessary for the development of Governmental educational programs and health awareness campaigns which are highly suggested particularly focusing on the primary and high schools, in an attempt to improve the levels of awareness.