OBJECTIVETo evaluate the association between periodontal conditions and delivery outcomes in pregnant women with a diagnosis of threatened premature labor (TPL).

METHODSEighty systemically healthy pregnant women were enrolled in the study. Forty of these were pregnant women hospitalized with the diagnosis of TPL, and 40 normal pregnant women served. TPL was control clarified as TPL-PB (14 women) and TPL-TB (26 women) based on the delivery outcomes. No infants were delivered as PB in the control with non-TPL. Periodontal examinations included assessments of plaque index (PLI), clinical attachment loss (CAL), probing depth (PD), bleeding index (BI) and the percentage of periodontitis sites (PD > 3 mm, CAL >or= 2 mm). The serum level of TNF-alpha was determined using commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISA).

RESULTSThe mean PLI (0.94 +/- 0.05), percentage of periodontitis sites (2.93%) and TNF-alpha levels [14.81 ng/L (13.40 - 15.64 ng/L)] were significantly higher in the TPL group than in the non-TPL group [0.59 +/- 0.03, 1.32% and 11.47 ng/L (10.82 - 12.86) ng/L] (P < 0.001). The mean PLI (0.96 +/- 0.06), BI (2.99 +/- 0.14), percentage of periodontitis sites (3.61%) and TNF-alpha levels [18.35 ng/L (15.47 - 31.94) ng/L] were significantly higher in the TPL-PB group than in the TPL-TB group [0.66 +/- 0.04, 2.76 +/- 0.12, 2.25% and 13.70 ng/L (12.64 - 14.80 ng/L)]. Significant negative correlations were observed between the gestational age at delivery and percentage of periodontitis sites as well as serum TNF-alpha levels (P < 0.05). And significant positive correlations were observed between percentage of periodontitis site and serum TNF-alpha levels (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPeriodontal inflammation might be involved in the pathogenesis of preterm birth.