Evaluation of the Relationship between Cystatin C Level in Whole Saliva and Chronic Periodontitis

Chronic periodontitis is an infectious disease resulting in inflammation in tooth supporting tissues, advanced attachment loss and boneloss. Destructive process is a result of imbalance between analyzing enzymes suchas MMPs and their inhibitors. This imbalance can also occur with other enzymessuch as lysosomal cysteine proteinase, Katpsyn and their inhibitor such ascystatin. Cystatin C is a protein which controls activity of extracellular cysteineproteinase in inflammatory conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluatethe protective role of salivary cystatin C in periodental disease. Twenty six patients with chronic periodontitis examined by a periodontist andalso with a minimum pocket depth of six mm and more in at least eight locations inthe mouth were selected. To collect Totalnon-irritating saliva samples, the spitmethod was used. Salivary levels of cystatin C was evaluated by ELISA method. Data were analysed by SPSS version 11.5 software. The level of cystatin C in periodontally diseased subjects was higherthan that of the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant(P=0.24). In the female group with control of age variant, thelevel of cystatin C was significantly higher in patients with periodontitis (P=0.036), whereas in male group, the difference was not significant(P=0.086). It seems that the lower periodontal destruction in female group is as aresult of higher level of cystatin C. The level of cystatin C in whole saliva could be used as a marker in chronic periodontitis.