Background: In the literature, for monitoring the conditions of endosseous dental implants, monitoring of the clinical periodontal parameters have been widely used. For pathologies occurring in various tissues, Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in the serum and body fluids have been used since decades as a diagnostic marker. Two such enzymes associated with disuse destruction due to periodontal pathologies are AST and alkaline phosphatise (AP). Increased levels of serum cathepsin K (CK) has also been found to be associated with chronic inflammatory processes. Hence; the present study was undertaken to evaluate the activity of AST in Peri-implant crevicular Fluid (PIF) obtained from healthy and pathologic tissue associated with endosseous dental implants. Materials & methods: The present study was conducted in the department of oral implantology and included assessment of 150 individuals that underwent prosthetic rehabilitation of edentulous areas by dental implant procedures. All the patients were divided into three study groups; group 1, 2 and 3 having patients with healthy peri-implant tissue status, patients with mucositis, and patients with peri-implantitis respectively. Recording of all the clinical parameters (probing depth, bone loss etc) was done. Collection of the PIF was done for evaluation of AST activity in the experimental groups at the time of second visit. Randomly, on the mesial or distal site, sampling of the PIF was randomly preformed from the healthy implants and implants with mucositis where as sites associated with deepest PD during the first visit, the peri-implantitis samples were obtained. Spectrophotometrical method was used for the measurement of Transaminase activity. Scandinavian method was used for the assessment of AP activity. Method described by Strbac et al was used for assessment of CK levels. SPSS software was used for the analysis of the results. Results: In healthy patients, the mean AST levels were found to be 0.21 U/ml. In patients with mucositis and with peri-implantitis, the mean values of AST were found to be 0.37 and 0.65 U/ml respectively. Mean PD was found to be 2.10, 2.85 and6.80 in group 1, 2 and 3 patients respectively. As far as mean BL is concerned, the value was found to be 1.56, 1.95 and 5.20 respectively in group 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The mean value of AP in group 1, group 2 and group 3 was found to be 11.20, 17.20 and 24.30 IU/mL respectively. The mean value of CK in group 1, group 2 and group 3 was found to be 1.15, 2.10 and 3.20 pmol/sample respectively. Significant difference was obtained while comparing mean AST, CK and AP level sin between peri-implantitis patients and mucositis patients. Conclusion: Some amount of diagnostic significance exists in context to AST, AP and CK activity in PIF of the implant patients with implant associated pathologies. Clinical significance: Biochemical enzymes can be used as a biomarker for predicting the inflammation around the dental implants.
Key words: Aspartate, Alakaline phosphatase, Cathespsin, Dental Implant