Locally delivered antioxidant gel as an adjunct to nonsurgical therapy improves measures of oxidative stress and periodontal disease

Purpose: The present study has two aims; firstly, it attempts to verify the presence of oxidative stress by estimating the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in periodontal pockets >= 5 mm as compared to controls. The second aim is to evaluate the effect of lycopene as a locally delivered antioxidant gel on periodontal health and on the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a marker of oxidative injury. Methods: Thirty-one subjects participated in this study. In the pretreatment phase, the ROS levels in pockets >= 5 mm were measured by flow cytometry. Three sites in each subject were randomly assigned into each of the following experimental groups: sham group, only scaling and root planing (SRP) was done; placebo group, local delivery of placebo gel after SRP; and lycopene group, local delivery of lycopene gel after SRP. Clinical parameters included recording site-specific measures of GCF 8-OHdG, plaque, gingivitis, probing depth, and clinical attachment level. Results: The gel, when delivered to the sites with oxidative stress, was effective in increasing clinical attachment and in reducing gingival inflammation, probing depth, and 8-OHdG levels as compared to the placebo and sham sites. Conclusions: From this trial conducted over a period of 6 months, it was found that locally delivered lycopene seems to be effective in reducing the measures of oxidative stress and periodontal disease.