Sulfiredoxin levels in gingival crevicular fluid: A new antioxidant defence system- case control study.

Introduction: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition in which oxidative stress plays a major role in its pathogenesis. The redox balance in the body acts as a defense system to counter this stress. The Peroxiredoxin (Prx)- Sulfiredoxin (Srx) antioxidant system is one such mechanism, found to be active in many systemic inflammatory diseases, including periodontitis. This study aims to compare the levels of Srx in Gingival Crevicular Fluid (GCF) of healthy and periodontally compromised patients after Non-surgical Periodontal Therapy (NSPT).

Methods: A total of 40 participants were divided into two groups: Group I included systemically and periodontally healthy individuals (control group), while Group II included patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis (case group). Both groups received NSPT and were reassessed after three months. Clinical parameters such as Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), Probing Pocket Depth (PPD), and Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL) were recorded and GCF samples were collected to measure Srx levels using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) at baseline and after three months.

Results: Srx levels significantly reduced after therapy in both groups. In Group I, levels decreased from 0.505 ± 0.20 ng/ml to 0.301 ± 0.13 ng/ml (p = 0.005). In Group II, levels decreased from 0.532 ± 0.23 ng/ml to 0.366 ± 0.10 ng/ml (p = 0.004). All clinical parameters also showed significant improvement at three months.

Conclusion: Srx levels decreased significantly after NSPT, suggesting its role as a potential biochemical marker to evaluate treatment outcomes. Further studies with larger samples and longer follow-ups are needed to confirm its diagnostic and prognostic value in periodontal therapy.