The ambit of periodontal reproductive endocrinology

Abstract

A preface on the historical background, scope and clinical importance of the effects of reproductive endocrinology on the periodontium is presented. Furthermore, deductive explanations of intuitive observations evaluating the influence of reproductive endocrinology on the periodontium are discussed.

The role of androgens on periodontal repair in female rats

“…47 A growing body of evidence suggests that androgens and estrogens modulate periodontal tissues, but the specific relationship between sex hormones and periodontal endocrinopathies remains to be determined. [23][24][25]48 Some mechanisms have been proposed to explain the regulation of periodontal disease by those hormones: (i) sex steroid hormones would increase a periodontopathogenic microbiota; (ii) sex steroid hormones would promote an alteration in vascular characteristics; (iii) periodontal tissues responses would be exacerbated by immune-endocrine interactions; (iv) specific populations of fibroblasts and epithelial cells would be modulated by sex steroid hormones. 49 However, the host response in a multifactorial disease, such as the periodontal disease, most probably cannot be simplified and represented by one mechanism of action only, but rather by a combination of them.…”

Associations Between Sex Hormone Levels and Periodontitis in Men: Results From NHANES III

“…Based on the limited available data, it is plausible that variations in testosterone levels in males could be associated with the prevalence and severity of periodontitis 19 . The primary aim of this study is to test the association between serum levels of testosterone and the prevalence and severity of periodontitis in men using data from the third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES III).…”

“…18 Based on the limited available data, it is plausible that variations in testosterone levels in males could be associated with the prevalence and severity of periodontitis. 19 The primary aim of this study is to test the association between serum levels of testosterone and the prevalence and severity of periodontitis in men using data from the third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES III). Also tested were the relationships between other sex hormones and other potential determinants of testosterone levels, such as estradiol, SHBG, and androstenediol glucuronide (AAG) (a metabolite of the most potent form of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone), with periodontitis.…”

The Future of Periodontal-Systemic Associations: Raising the Standards

“…Currently, there are over 100 reported periodontal-systemic associations, and all of these relationships have been identified by observational studies. At this time, only one association (periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes) has been investigated using experimental studies with distinct, objective, clinical endpoints (not surrogate values), and the experimental studies failed to confirm a relationship [8]. Another interesting conundrum is that all periodontalsystemic associations appear to work through similar mechanisms that involve periodontal (a) regulatory substances (e.g., cytokines) and/or (b) organisms (e.g., Porphyromonas gingivalis) that are hypothetically transported in tissue fluids (e.g., blood) to stimulate specific cells or tissues distant from the periodontal apparatus (e.g., cardiac tissue).…”