An observational study in Periodontitis and Gingivitis, sponsored by Inonu University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-07.
Sponsored by Inonu University · Observational
This study will look at certain proteins in the gums, saliva, and gum fluid of people with healthy gums, gingivitis (mild gum inflammation), or periodontitis (more severe gum disease). The proteins to be studied called STAP-1, STAP-2, STAT3, STAT5A, NLRP3, and CASP3, are known to be involved in inflammation and cell health in other diseases, but their role in gum disease is not well understood. Seventy-five healthy adults will be grouped by their gum health status. Samples of saliva and gum fluid will be collected and tested, and gum tissue samples will be collected from a subset of participants during routine dental treatment. Researchers will measure the levels of these proteins and look for patterns linking them to the severity of gum disease. The results are expected to show whether these proteins are found at different levels in people with periodontitis compared to those with healthy gums, suggesting they may play a role in how gum disease develops and progresses. This information may help researchers better understand the biological processes behind periodontal disease and could eventually contribute to new ways of detecting or treating it.
Signal-transducing adaptor proteins (STAPs), particularly STAP-1 and STAP-2, are involved in intracellular signaling pathways that regulate cell growth, immune responses, and inflammatory processes, and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several chronic inflammatory and malignant conditions. Their regulatory partners, STAT3 and STAT5A, are transcription factors known to modulate immune and inflammatory signaling, while NLRP3 (a key component of the inflammasome) and CASP3 (a central mediator of apoptosis) are closely linked to tissue destruction and programmed cell death in chronic inflammatory diseases. Although periodontal disease is fundamentally driven by a dysregulated host inflammatory and immune response to bacterial biofilm, the involvement of STAP-1, STAP-2, and their associated signaling molecules in this process has not previously been investigated. This study will enroll 75 systemically healthy adults, allocated into three groups of 25 participants each based on periodontal status: periodontally healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Diagnosis and group allocation will be based on standard clinical periodontal parameters. From all 75 participants, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and unstimulated whole saliva samples will be collected. In addition, gingival tissue biopsies will be obtained from a subset of 60 systemically healthy participants (20 per group), collected during periodontal or extraction procedures that are independently clinically indicated. GCF and saliva samples will be analyzed for total levels of STAP-1, STAP-2, STAT3, STAT5A, NLRP3, and CASP3 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Gingival tissue samples will be analyzed for relative gene expression of the same six molecules using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Clinical periodontal parameters (such as probing depth, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing, and plaque index) will be recorded for all participants at the time of sampling. Statistical analyses will compare protein and gene expression levels across the three periodontal groups and will assess correlations among STAP-1, STAP-2, STAT3, STAT5A, NLRP3, and CASP3, as well as their relationships with clinical periodontal parameters, within GCF, saliva, and gingival tissue. The study aims to determine whether STAP family proteins and their related inflammatory/apoptotic signaling molecules are differentially expressed according to periodontal disease severity, and whether they may serve as biological indicators involved in the inflammatory and tissue-destructive processes underlying periodontitis.
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This study's enrollment of 75 is below the median of 90 across 372 observational studies indexed under Periodontitis.
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Adults aged 18 to 60 years attending the periodontology clinic were enrolled and classified into three groups based on clinical periodontal parameters according to the 2017 World Workshop classification: periodontal health, gingivitis, and periodontitis (Stage III). Exclusion criteria included any systemic disease, regular medication use, smoking, pregnancy or lactation, periodontal treatment within the past 6 months, antibiotic use within the past 6 months, and presence of prosthetic restorations on the teeth to be sampled. A total of 75 participants (25 per group; 38 male, 37 female) were included.
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Inclusion criteria for the Healthy Control group were: presence of ≥ 20 teeth in the mouth, probing pocket depth (PPD) ≤ 3 mm, the percentage of bleeding sites for the whole mouth \< 10%, and, on radiographic examination, a distance of ≤ 3 mm between the cemento-enamel junction and the alveolar bone crest in 95% of all teeth. Inclusion criteria for the Gingivitis group were: presence of ≥ 20 teeth in the mouth, PPD ≤ 3 mm, % of bleeding sites for the whole mouth ≥ 10%, and, on radiographic examination, a distance of ≤ 3 mm between the cemento-enamel junction and the alveolar bone crest in 95% of all teeth. Inclusion criteria for the Stage 3 Periodontitis group were: presence of ≥ 15 teeth in the mouth, more than 30% of teeth affected by periodontal disease, affected teeth exhibiting probing depths of 6 mm or more and clinical attachment loss (CAL) of ≥ 5 mm, vertical bone loss of 3 mm or more, class 2 or 3 furcation involvement, and radiographic evidence of alveolar bone loss extending to the middle third and beyond (33%) in the relevant teeth
Exclusion Criteria:
Exclusion criteria for all groups were defined as: presence of any systemic disease, regular use of any medication, smoking, pregnancy or lactation, periodontal treatment within the last 6 months, antibiotic use within the last 6 months, and the presence of prosthetic restorations on the teeth to be sampled.
periodontally healthy participants
patients with gingivitis
patients with periodontitis
GCF, saliva and Gingival levels of STAP-1, STAP-2, STAT3, STAT5A, NLRP3 and CASP3
Gene expression (RT-PCR, relative fold change via 2\^-ΔΔCT method)levels of STAP-1, STAP-2, STAT3, STAT5A, NLRP3 and CASP3 were measured in gingiva of participants. Protein levels of STAP-1, STAP-2, STAT3, STAT5A, NLRP3 and CASP3 in GCF and saliva were measured by ELISA in study participants.
Time frame: From may to December 2024
Plan to share: Yes — De-identified individual participant data will be shared, including participant age, sex, and clinical periodontal parameters (plaque index, gingival index, probing depth, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing). Participants will be identified only by coded/numbered case report forms; no names, gender identity beyond biological sex, or other identifying information will be shared.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan
Time frame: Beginning 6 months and ending 24 months following article publication
Access criteria: Data will be made available to researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal, subject to approval by the corresponding author, for the purpose of achieving the aims outlined in the approved proposal.
This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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