Periostin as a periodontal healing indicator after scaling and root planing

Periostin, a marker of periodontal health, maintains the periodontal integrity. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of periostin mRNA as a potential indicator of periodontal healing after scaling and root planing in patients with periodontitis. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were collected from three periodontally healthy subjects and four periodontitis patients with periodontal pocket depths (PPDs) of 4-6 mm at baseline and 1, 2, 4 weeks (D0, D1, D2, and D3 respectively) after scaling and root planing. Periostin mRNA was measured using quantitative real time-PCR (qPCR). The relationships between periostin mRNA expression and the clinical periodontal health parameters (PPD, bleeding on probing [BOP]) were analyzed using Wilcoxon and paired t tests. Compared to healthy subjects, patients with periodontitis expressed low D0 levels of periostin mRNA, which increased at D2 but decreased at D3; however, these differences were not statistically significant (p ≥ 0.05). PPD did not differ significantly over time; even so, the BOP scores were lower at later time points relative to D0 and controls (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the GCF levels of periostin mRNA were highest at 2 weeks postconventional periodontal therapy and correlated with BOP. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.