Assessment of Salivary Levels of the RANKL and RANK in Patients with Healthy Gingiva on Reduced Periodontium Versus Periodontitis: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

We aimed to compare the changes in the two salivary biomarkers, RANKL and RANK, among patients with healthy gingiva on reduced periodontium versus generalized periodontitis stages II and III.

Study subjects were divided into three groups: (1) healthy periodontium (control group) (n=15), (2) generalized periodontitis stages II and III (n=30), and (3) healthy gingiva on reduced periodontium (n=30). Salivary levels of RANKL and RANK were assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data analysis was done by the one-way ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test using R software.

There was a statistically significant difference among the three study groups regarding salivary levels of the RANKL (P < 0.001) and RANK (P < 0.001). A Post hoc test showed that the difference between salivary levels of the RANKL (P=0.50) and RANK (P=0.86) among periodontitis groups and healthy gingiva in the reduced periodontium group was not statistically significant.

High salivary levels of RANKL and RANK in comparison with healthy gingiva are not necessarily associated with the active phase of periodontal disease and progressive bone destruction.