Evaluation of Inflammation-Related Endothelial Barrier Dysfunction in Patients With Chronic Apical Periodontitis Before and After Endodontic Treatment
Evaluation of Inflammation-Related Endothelial Barrier Dysfunction in Patients With Chronic Apical Periodontitis Before and After Endodontic Treatment
Inflammation is a common factor in chronic periodontitis and systemic diseases. However, to date, there is no scientific evidence supporting a causal effect of inflammation caused by apical periodontitis on endothelial barrier dysfunction.
A case-control study was designed to evaluate serum levels of endothelial barrier dysfunction factors in a sample of healthy patients aged 25 to 55, with or without apical periodontitis, before endodontic treatment and 6 and 12 months after treatment.
The aim of this study is to investigate the potential relationship between the presence of chronic endodontic lesions and inflammation-related alterations of the endothelial barrier that may compromise its integrity, as well as to determine whether endodontic treatment can reduce these factors, thereby preventing changes in endothelial permeability.
Systemically healthy, informed, and consenting patients of both sexes under 55 years of age with a diagnosis of apical periodontitis who undergo endodontic treatment will be enrolled as cases and monitored at 6 and 12 months after treatment. Systemically healthy, informed, and consenting patients of both sexes under 55 years of age without apical periodontitis will be enrolled as control subjects.
The study has been designed to assess serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8), as well as the endothelial junctional proteins zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), claudin-5, and vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin), using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
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