Background and Objective Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) has been of major interest for many decades as valuable body fluid that may serve as a source of biomarkers for both periodontal and systemic diseases. Because of its very small sample size, sub-μl level, identification of its protein composition by classical biochemical methods has been limited. The advent of highly sensitive mass spectrometric technology has permitted large-scale identification of protein components of many biological samples. This technology has been employed to identify protein composition of GCF from inflamed and periodontal sites. In this report we present a proteome dataset of GCF from healthy periodontium sites. Methods A combination of periopaper collection method with application of multidimensional protein separation and mass spectrometric (MS) technology led to a large-scale documentation of the proteome of GCF from healthy periodontium sites. Results The approaches utilized have culminated in identification of 199 proteins in GCF of periodontally healthy sites. The current GCF proteome from healthy sites was compared and contrasted with those proteomes of GCF from inflamed and periodontal sites as well as serum. The cross-correlation of the GCF and plasma proteomes permitted dissociation of the 199 identified GCF proteins into, 105 proteins (57%) that can be identified in plasma and 94 proteins (43%) which are distinct and unique to GCF microenvironment. Such analysis also revealed distinctions in protein functional categories between serum proteins and those specific to GCF microenvironment. Conclusion Firstly, the data presented herein provide the proteome of GCF from periodontally healthy sites through establishment of innovative analytical approaches for effective analysis of GCF from periopapers both at the level of complete elusion and removal of abundant albumin which restricts identification of low abundant proteins. Secondly, it adds significantly to the knowledge of GCF composition and highlights new groups of proteins specific to GCF microenvironment.

Aim Application of quantitative stable-isotope-labeling chemistries and mass spectrometry (MS) to determine alterations in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) proteome in periodontal disease. Materials and Methods Quantitative proteome of GCF from 40 healthy individuals versus 40 patients with periodontal disease was established using 320 GCF samples and stable-isotope-labeling reagents, ICAT and mTRAQ, with MS technology and validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent methods. Results We have identified 238 distinct proteins of which 180 were quantified in GCF of both healthy and periodontal patients with additional 26 and 32 distinct proteins that were found only in GCF of healthy or periodontal patients. In addition, 42 pathogenic bacterial proteins and 11 yeast proteins were quantified. The data highlighted a series of proteins not quantified previously by large-scale MS approaches in GCF with relevance to periodontal disease, such as host derived Ig alpha-2 chain C, Kallikrein-4, S100-A9, transmembrane proteinase 13, peptidase S1 domain, several collagen types and pathogenic bacterial proteins e.g., formamidase, leucine amidopeptidase and virulence factor OMP85. Conclusions The innovative analytical approaches provided detailed novel changes in both host and microbial derived GCF proteomes of periodontal patients. The study defined 50 host and 16 pathogenic bacterial proteins significantly elevated in periodontal disease most of which were novel with significant potential for application in the clinical arena of periodontal disease.