Inflammatory mediators and immunoglobulins in GCF from healthy, gingivitis and periodontitis sites.

Existing paradigms in the biology of periodontitis have supported the detection of elevated levels of prostaglandins and leukotrienes in gingival crevicular fluid and tissues isolated from progressing periodontitis sites. These mediators have generally been associated with destructive inflammation. The article presents a study that compared inflammatory mediator patterns regulated by host responses at individual sites of periodontal health, gingivitis and periodontitis. Previous studies of these mediators have generally compared the levels in tissues or fluids of healthy subjects with those at sites of overt destruction in periodontitis patients.