Effects of Azithromycin as an Adjunct to Scaling and Root Planning in the Treatment of Periodontitis

Summary

The growing interest in the possibilities of modulating macrophages in inflammatory diseases with therapeutic purpose has prompted the development of new approaches for the treatment of periodontitis. This randomized add-on open clinical study evaluated the short-term effects of azithromycin (Az) as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) in patients with chronic periodontitis. The investigators measured periodontal parameters, and collected gingival biopsies from patients with periodontitis (P group, n=50) before and 1 month after scaling and root planning (SRP group, n=25), after scaling and root planning with oral azithromycin administration (Az group, n=25), and from periodontally healthy individuals (H group, n=25). The last served as a reference group. Macrophage subpopulations were identified through immunohistochemistry as single positive CD68+ and CD163+ cells. The levels of M1-, and M2-related cytokines (IL1-β, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β) assay in the tissue culture medium was provided by ELISA. The data were statistically analyzed by appropriate methods. The null hypothesis tested was that L-arginine and L-ornithine have no influences on CD68+ and CD163+ Mφs densities.

Timeline

Start

2017-09-16

Primary completion

2019-06-28

Completion

2019-06-28

Publications

• Background Morales A, Contador R, Bravo J, Carvajal P, Silva N, Strauss FJ, Gamonal J. Clinical effects of probiotic or azithromycin as an adjunct to scaling and root planning in the treatment of stage III periodontitis: a pilot randomized controlled clinical trial. BMC Oral Health. 2021 Jan 7;21(1):12. doi: 10.1186/s12903-020-01276-3.
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• Background Mills CD, Lenz LL, Ley K. Macrophages at the fork in the road to health or disease. Front Immunol. 2015 Feb 16;6:59. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00059. eCollection 2015. No abstract available.
• Background Zhou LN, Bi CS, Gao LN, An Y, Chen F, Chen FM. Macrophage polarization in human gingival tissue in response to periodontal disease. Oral Dis. 2019 Jan;25(1):265-273. doi: 10.1111/odi.12983. Epub 2018 Oct 12.
• Background Shapouri-Moghaddam A, Mohammadian S, Vazini H, Taghadosi M, Esmaeili SA, Mardani F, Seifi B, Mohammadi A, Afshari JT, Sahebkar A. Macrophage plasticity, polarization, and function in health and disease. J Cell Physiol. 2018 Sep;233(9):6425-6440. doi: 10.1002/jcp.26429. Epub 2018 Mar 1.
• Background Allam JP, Duan Y, Heinemann F, Winter J, Gotz W, Deschner J, Wenghoefer M, Bieber T, Jepsen S, Novak N. IL-23-producing CD68(+) macrophage-like cells predominate within an IL-17-polarized infiltrate in chronic periodontitis lesions. J Clin Periodontol. 2011 Oct;38(10):879-86. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-051X.2011.01752.x. Epub 2011 Aug 31.
• Background Fabriek BO, Dijkstra CD, van den Berg TK. The macrophage scavenger receptor CD163. Immunobiology. 2005;210(2-4):153-60. doi: 10.1016/j.imbio.2005.05.010.
• Background Parnham MJ, Erakovic Haber V, Giamarellos-Bourboulis EJ, Perletti G, Verleden GM, Vos R. Azithromycin: mechanisms of action and their relevance for clinical applications. Pharmacol Ther. 2014 Aug;143(2):225-45. doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2014.03.003. Epub 2014 Mar 11.
• Background Fujise O, Miura M, Hamachi T, Aida Y, Nishimura F. Regenerative effect of azithromycin on periodontitis with different levels of gingival inflammation: three case reports. Aust Dent J. 2014 Jun;59(2):245-51. doi: 10.1111/adj.12177.
• Background Nepokupnaia-Slobodianuk TS, Skripnikov PN. [The clinical effectiveness of long-term azithromycin in patients with chronic generalized periodontitis]. Georgian Med News. 2014 Nov;(236):27-31. Russian.
• Background Hai R, Chu A, Li H, Umamoto S, Rider P, Liu F. Infection of human cytomegalovirus in cultured human gingival tissue. Virol J. 2006 Oct 5;3:84. doi: 10.1186/1743-422X-3-84.
• Background Loos BG, Needleman I. Endpoints of active periodontal therapy. J Clin Periodontol. 2020 Jul;47 Suppl 22(Suppl 22):61-71. doi: 10.1111/jcpe.13253.
• Background Garaicoa-Pazmino C, Fretwurst T, Squarize CH, Berglundh T, Giannobile WV, Larsson L, Castilho RM. Characterization of macrophage polarization in periodontal disease. J Clin Periodontol. 2019 Aug;46(8):830-839. doi: 10.1111/jcpe.13156. Epub 2019 Jun 25.
• Background Zhu L, Zhao Q, Yang T, Ding W, Zhao Y. Cellular metabolism and macrophage functional polarization. Int Rev Immunol. 2015 Jan;34(1):82-100. doi: 10.3109/08830185.2014.969421. Epub 2014 Oct 23.
• Background Zhu LF, Li L, Wang XQ, Pan L, Mei YM, Fu YW, Xu Y. M1 macrophages regulate TLR4/AP1 via paracrine to promote alveolar bone destruction in periodontitis. Oral Dis. 2019 Nov;25(8):1972-1982. doi: 10.1111/odi.13167. Epub 2019 Oct 18.

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