Periodontitis may increase C-reactive protein levels in pregnancy

C-reactive protein might be a plausible mediator of the association

Researchers found that pregnant women with periodontitis had 65 percent higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels compared to periodontally healthy women. This study appears in the May issue of the Journal of Periodontology (JOP).

CRP levels are a marker of systemic inflammation and are associated with periodontal disease, a chronic bacterial infection found in the gums of the mouth. CRP has also been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preeclampsia and preterm delivery.

“Elevated CRP may indeed be caused by periodontal infection and inflammation.” said Dr. Waranuch Pitiphat, Department of Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. “If this is the case, CRP could amplify the inflammatory response and ultimately cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. Alternatively, periodontal disease and CRP may share a common risk factor for predisposing individuals to a hyperinflammatory response. More research is clearly needed to further our understanding about the association between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes.”

Past studies examining the relationship between periodontal disease and CRP found that often after standard non-surgical periodontal therapy, CRP levels decrease.

“This is one more study that really drives home the importance of taking care of the entire body including oral health,” explains Kenneth A. Krebs, DMD and AAP president. “In addition to this study about the relationship between CRP and pregnant women with periodontal disease, previous studies reported that inflammatory effects from periodontal disease could cause the liver to make proteins such as CRP that inflame arteries causing blood clots that contribute to heart attacks or strokes.”

Evidence supporting the association between periodontitis and CRP is based only on studies in men and non-pregnant women. This is the first study that looked at the association between CRP and periodontitis in pregnant women. The results of this study are consistent with previous studies conducted among men and non-pregnant women. CRP was higher in people with periodontal disease compared to those without disease.

Media Contact

Kerry Gutshall EurekAlert!

All latest news from the category: Materials Sciences

Materials management deals with the research, development, manufacturing and processing of raw and industrial materials. Key aspects here are biological and medical issues, which play an increasingly important role in this field.

innovations-report offers in-depth articles related to the development and application of materials and the structure and properties of new materials.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

First-of-its-kind study uses remote sensing to monitor plastic debris in rivers and lakes

Remote sensing creates a cost-effective solution to monitoring plastic pollution. A first-of-its-kind study from researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities shows how remote sensing can help monitor and…

Laser-based artificial neuron mimics nerve cell functions at lightning speed

With a processing speed a billion times faster than nature, chip-based laser neuron could help advance AI tasks such as pattern recognition and sequence prediction. Researchers have developed a laser-based…

Optimising the processing of plastic waste

Just one look in the yellow bin reveals a colourful jumble of different types of plastic. However, the purer and more uniform plastic waste is, the easier it is to…