OPG und RANKL in der Sulkusflüssigkeit und im Speichel bei Patienten mit behandelter chronischer Parodontitis und osseointegrierten Implantaten

The OPG/RANKL system is critical for physiological bone remodeling as RANKL, its cellular receptor RANK and its decoy receptor OPG crucially regulating osteoclastogenesis. Thus, the ratio of RANKL to OPG determines the rate of bone remodeling. The aim of this study was to determine osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL) in crevicular fluid and saliva of periodontal healthy subjects and patients with treated generalized chronic periodontitis (GCP) and peri-implant healthy implants. Samples of crevicular fluids and saliva as well as clinical parameters were collected from 8 GCP patients with implants and 7 periodontal healthy subjects without implants. RANKL and OPG levels were measured using ELISAs. In GCP patients, OPG was detectable in 30% of the crevicular fluid around implants and in 27% around teeth. In controls, OPG was found in 22% of crevicular fluid. RANKL levels were determined in 23% of crevicular fluid around implants and in 28% around teeth, whereas it was found in 8% of controls. OPG and RANKL were detectable in nearly all saliva samples. In both groups, OPG and RANKL were not correlated with each other in the crevicular fluid or saliva samples. There was no correlation with clinical parameters. OPG and RANKL were detectable in 20-30% of the crevicular fluid samples. In GCP patients the RANKL levels around implants and the OPG levels around teeth were increased. As a conclusion, the detection of OPG and RANKL in crevicular fluid and saliva may provide a promising diagnostic indicator of bone remodeling for teeth and dental implants. The role of the OPG/RANKL system should be investigated in more detail with respect to the establishment and maintenance of osseointegration of implants and in the development of inflammatory peri-implant diseases. Nearly all saliva samples contained measureable amounts of OPG and RANKL.