TLRs higher among periodontitis patients, Study says

The study is published in the Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology.

Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease characterised by destruction of the supporting structures of the teeth (the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone). It is highly prevalent (severe periodontitis affects 10–15% of adults) and has multiple negative impacts on quality of life. Epidemiological data confirm that diabetes is a major risk factor for periodontitis; susceptibility to periodontitis is increased by approximately threefold in people with diabetes. There is a clear relationship between degree of hyperglycaemia and severity of periodontitis. The mechanisms that underpin the links between these two conditions are not completely understood, but involve aspects of immune functioning, neutrophil activity, and cytokine biology.

The role of TLRs as principal signaling receptors in recognizing endotoxins on gram positive and negative bacteria is facilitated by TLRs and further enhances its role as a potential biomarker in assessing periodontal disease. However, the association of TLRs in periodontitis conditions has not been evaluated till date.

Hence, Amitha Ramesh and colleagues from the Department of Periodontics, A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India conducted the present study which aimed at evaluating the expression of sTLR2 and sTLR4 among healthy, periodontal and diabetic patients and further if there a comparable expression among the TLRs among genders.