Effects of scaling and root planing with or without a local drug delivery system on the gingival crevicular fluid leptin level in chronic periodontitis patients: a clinico-biochemical study

Purpose: The present split mouth study evaluates the effect of nonsurgical periodontal treatment on the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) leptin level in chronic periodontitis. Methods: Ninety sites from 30 nonobese chronic periodontitis patients were selected and divided as follows: group I, 30 healthy sites receiving no treatment; group II, 30 periodontitis sites receiving scaling and root planing (SRP); and group III, 30 periodontitis sites receiving SRP with tetracycline local drug delivery. At baseline, after GCF sampling and clinical parameter recording, the assigned treatment was performed for the study groups. During recall visits, GCF sampling followed by clinical parameter recording was done for groups II and III. Results: Reductions in the probing depth and the clinical attachment level (CAL) were highly significant at different time intervals (except between day 0 and 45) in both groups II and III. Upon comparison, group III showed significant gain in CAL between day 0 and 15 and between day 0 and 45. After treatment, the reduction in the GCF leptin level was more significant in group III than in group II at day 15 but re-elevated almost to the pretreatment levels at day 45. Conclusions: Nonsurgical periodontal therapies were not effective in maintaining stable reduction in the GCF leptin level during the study period.