Evaluation of gingival crevicular fluid interleukin-8 levels of patients with Down' s syndrome before and after therapy

DS is an autosomal disorder caused by an extra chromosome 21. The syndrome is characterized by mental deficiency in these children. The high prevalance and severity of periodontal disease has been reported in subjects with DS patients. The high prevalence of periodontal disaese in these patients may be because of impaired host defense associated with reduced neutrophil chemotaxis, impaired neutrophil phagocytoxis, reduced T lymphocyte counts and immature T lymphocytes. IL-8 is a proinflammatory chemokine, a potent chemoattractant and activator of neutrophils. IL-8 is is produced in the epithelium of the gingival tissues in response to bacterial exposure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of phase I periodontal treatment on gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of IL-8. 15 DS, their parents and 15 periodontally healthy controls (C) were included in this study. Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI) probing depth (PD) measurements were recorded a single examiner and radiographic examinations were performed from both DS patients and primer care givers. After clinical and radiographical examinations GCF samples were collected from the DS and C patients before treatment (BT). DS patient’ s and their parent’s oral health was evaluated over the following 6 months which period monthly care consisted of professional tooth cleaning, scaling and root planing, oral hygiene instructions and counselling to the primer care givers. Clinical parameters were recorded at the baseline and the 1st,3rd and 6th months of the study. GCF samples were collected from the DS and C patients once more 1 month after the therapy (AT ) Assays for IL-8 were performed by an ELISA method. DS and parent groups showed statistically significant reductions in PI, GI and PD scores following the phase I periodontal treatment. PI, GI and PD scores at the 1st,3rd and 6th months exhibited a statistically significant decrease when compared to the baseline. GCF levels of IL-8 were significantly higher in DS group before the treatment than controls. But no significant difference was obtained when GCF BT and AT IL-8 levels of DS patients and DS groups BT and control groups IL-8 levels were compared. These results suggest that IL-8 can’ t be associated with the periodontal status in DS patients and periodic preventive care and systematic oral hygiene instructions given to the DS patients and their primer care givers is effective for suppressing the progression of periodontal disease in patients with DS. Key Words: Down’ s syndrome, periodontal treatment, IL-8