Background and Objective
Both gingival tissue destruction and regeneration are associated with chronic periodontitis, although the former overwhelms the latter. Studies have shown that transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF‐β1), a growth factor largely involved in tissue regeneration and remodeling, is upregulated in chronic periodontitis. However, the gingival expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF or CCN2), a TGF‐β1‐upregulated gene, in patients with periodontitis remains undetermined. Although both CTGF/CCN2 and TGF‐b1 increase the production of extracellular matrix, they have many different biological functions. Therefore, it is important to delineate the impact of periodontitis on gingival CTGF/CCN2 expression.
Material and Methods
Periodontal tissue specimens were collected from seven individuals without periodontitis (group 1) and from 14 with periodontitis (group 2). The expression of CTGF and TGFβ1mRNAs were quantified using real‐time PCR.
Results
Analysis using the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U‐test showed that the levels of expression of both CTGF/CCN2 and TGFβ1 mRNAs were significantly increased in individuals with periodontitis compared with individuals without periodontitis. Furthermore, analysis using a nonparametric correlation (Spearman r) test showed a positive correlation between TGFβ1 and CTGF/CCN2mRNAs.
Conclusion
The gingival expression levels of CTGF/CCN2 and TGFβ1mRNAs in individuals with periodontitis are upregulated and correlated.