Salivary Interleukin-6, Interleukin-1, and C-Reactive Protein as a Diagnostic Tool for Plaque-Induced Gingivitis in Children

Plaque-induced gingivitis (PIG) is one of the most widely distributed oral disorders in children. We aimed to identify the diagnostic value of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), and c-reactive protein (CRP) in the unstimulated whole saliva of children with different degrees of PIG. The study included 45 healthy children (aged between 4-14 years). The participants were divided into four groups according to their Silness-Loe plaque index and Loe-Silness gingival index. ELISA methods for the quantification of salivary IL-6, IL-1 beta, and CRP were used. The highest levels of IL-6, IL-1 beta, and CRP were recorded in the group with severe gingivitis-14.96 pg/mL, 28.94 pg/mL, and 490.0 pg/mL, respectively-significantly exceeding those in the control group (9.506 pg/mL, 16.93 pg/mL and 254.4 pg/mL, respectively). Based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, salivary IL-1 beta and CRP showed good diagnostic accuracy (0.8 <= AUC < 0.9) and IL-6 showed fair diagnostic accuracy (0.7 <= AUC < 0.8) with statistical significance to distinguish between children with a moderate degree of PIG and those with a severe degree of PIG. Sensitivity for IL-6, CRP, and IL-1 beta was 87.5% (p < 0.05), 87.5% (p < 0.01), and 75% (p < 0.01), respectively, and specificity was 63.16% (p < 0.05), 78.95% (p < 0.01), 83.33% (p < 0.01), respectively. Based on our results, we suggest salivary IL-1 beta and CRP as potential diagnostic tools that can be used to differentiate between moderate and severe PIG.