The correlation between tobacco use and TGF-B1 levels in gingival crevicular fluid in chronic moderate-severe periodontitis

TGF-B1 is a growth factor known to control cell function in both healthy and diseased condition. There is little information on the correlation between smoking and the levels of this cytokine in gingival crevicular fluid. This study aimed to assess the correlation between tobacco use and TGF-B1 levels in gingival crevicular fluid in chronic moderate-severe periodontitis.

Sixty patients with chronic moderate–sever periodontitis participated in this analytical case-control study. Samples of gingival crevicular fluid were obtained via a perio strip from thirty smokers (Case group) and thirty nonsmokers (control group). The TGF-B1 levels were measured using ELISA.

The results revealed that TGF-B1 levels were higher in both healthy and diseased sites of gingival among smokers, yet the difference was insignificant. Furthermore, in the nonsmoking group, the TGF-B1 level was significantly higher in diseased sites compared to healthy sites (P<0.0001), whereas in the smoking group, the difference was insignificant.

It is concluded that TGF-B1 levels increase with the advent of periodontal disease regardless of tobacco use which is due to immune responses and initiation of repair in the affected sites.