Systemic Consistency of Uric Acid Levels in Saliva and Gingival Crevicular Fluid Across Different Periodontal Health Statuses

Uric acid, a potent antioxidant and pro-oxidant molecule, plays a critical role in neutralizing oxidative stress, a key driver of periodontal disease progression. This study investigates the systemic and localized dynamics of uric acid levels in saliva and Gingival Crevicular Fluid (GCF) among individuals with varying periodontal health statuses based on the 2017 classification system for periodontal diseases.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 43 participants grouped into healthy, mild, moderate, and severe periodontitis categories. Saliva and GCF samples were collected and analyzed for uric acid levels using spectrophotometric methods. Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to assess differences between groups and fluids.

Significant differences in salivary uric acid levels were observed across severity groups (Kruskal-Wallis, p = 0.002), with levels decreasing progressively from healthy individuals (median = 40.51 µmol/L) to severe periodontitis (median = 6.01 µmol/L). Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences between most severity groups, except for mild and moderate periodontitis. In GCF, uric acid levels also differed significantly across groups (Kruskal-Wallis, p = 0.0024), with lower levels in severe periodontitis compared to healthy and mild groups. No significant difference was found between uric acid levels in saliva and GCF (Wilcoxon, p = 0.088), indicating consistency across the two fluids.

The study demonstrated that uric acid levels in both saliva and gingival crevicular fluid decrease significantly with increasing periodontal disease severity. This pattern supports the role of oxidative stress in periodontitis progression and highlights the potential depletion of antioxidant reserves as the disease advances. The consistent uric acid concentrations between saliva and GCF suggest systemic reflection of local periodontal inflammation. These findings reinforce the utility of uric acid as a non-invasive biomarker for assessing periodontal health and indicate that salivary measurements could reliably mirror local oxidative changes in the periodontal microenvironment.

Uric acid levels in saliva and GCF reflect periodontal health status, with significant reductions observed as disease severity increases. The consistency of uric acid levels between these fluids highlights their potential as non-invasive biomarkers for monitoring oxidative stress in periodontal disease.