Serum parathyroid hormone and active vitamin D in chronic periodontitis

Objectives To study the association between periodontitis and serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and the response of PTH to periodontal therapy in type 1 diabetic patients (T1DM). We also investigated the PTH-1,25(OH)2 D axis in the T1DM group. Methods Periodontal health status was recorded in 54 periodontitis patients and 30 periodontally healthy controls (case-control data). Data were also collected from patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus at the baseline (n = 76) and after periodontal therapy (intervention data) (n = 53). Results Periodontitis was not associated with serum PTH in the case-control data or at the baseline of the intervention data. A post-therapy increase in serum PTH was found in 61% of the T1DM patients; in patients with moderate or severe periodontitis (n = 26) the average increase was 0.6 pmol/l (p = 0.016) and in patients with no or mild periodontitis (n = 27) 0.2 pmol/l (p = 0.250). In 47% of the T1DM patients, an increase in PTH was associated with an increase in serum 1,25(OH)2 D. Conclusion An association between serum PTH and periodontal infection was found only after periodontal therapy in T1DM patients. This post-treatment response in serum PTH may partly explain the previously reported increase in serum 1,25(OH)2 D.