Comparing Inflammatory Markers in Patients With and Without Depression With Chronic Periodontitis

December 10, 2025 updated by: Maninder Kaur, University of Alabama at Birmingham
This study will evaluate whether use of antidepressants can reduce gingival inflammation in patients with periodontal (gum) disease.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate whether use of antidepressants can reduce gingival inflammation in patients with periodontal (gum) disease. This study will also investigate the link between oral and systemic inflammation in patients diagnosed with depression and periodontal disease. Researcher will collect gingival crevicular fluid, plaque, tissue and blood serum samples to evaluate the link between these two diseases. The collection of gingival crevicular fluid, plaque and blood serum is relatively non-invasive, elicits minimal discomfort and does not require use of any anesthesia. The soft tissue sample will be collected as part of an otherwise planned periodontal surgical procedure under local anesthesia. In periodontal therapy (surgical procedures i.e. gum surgery, tooth extraction and or dental implant surgery) there is enough availability of remnant tissue for the collection of samples, which is otherwise discarded.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
92

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Alabama
      • Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35294-0007
        • Unversity of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Dentistry

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 99 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • At least 18 years old
  • Must be a patient of the UAB Dental School
  • Able to read and understand informed consent document
  • Good general health as evidenced by medical history
  • Minimum of 18 teeth, excluding third molars
  • Having moderate to severe periodontal disease according to AAP definition (teeth ≥5 mm PD and ≥3 mm CAL)
  • Having >30 percent bleeding sites upon probing
  • Patients taking depression medication with chronic periodontitis
  • Patients without depression with chronic periodontitis
  • Patients who have not had a dental cleaning in the past 3 months prior to procedure
  • Patients scheduled for surgical procedures (i.e. gum surgery, tooth extraction, or dental implants)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Non-English speaking
  • Less than 18 years old
  • Smokers/tobacco users (>10 cigarettes/day)
  • Any dental condition that requires immediate treatment, such as emergency care
  • Chronic use (≥3 times/week) of anti-inflammatory medications (e.g., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids). Low-dose aspirin (less than 325 mg daily)
  • Immunocompromised subjects
  • Any medical history or any concomitant medication that might affect the assessment of the study treatment or periodontal tissues, such as uncontrolled diabetes, nifedipine, phenytoin (Dilantin), subjects with arthritis and morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Chronic Periodontitis and Depression Medications
Patients with clinically diagnosed depression taking (SSRIs, NDRIs, SNRIs, tricyclic antidepressants) and with chronic periodontitis
Procedure: Periodontal Surgery
Samples will be collected from patient in need of periodontal therapy (surgical procedures i.e. gum surgery, tooth extraction and or dental implant surgery). As standard during this procedures remnant tissue is otherwise discarded.
Active Comparator: Chronic Periodontitis without Depression Medications
Patients with clinically diagnosed depression not taking any antidepressants (SSRIs NDRIs, SNRIs and Tricyclic antidepressants) and with chronic periodontitis
Procedure: Periodontal Surgery
Samples will be collected from patient in need of periodontal therapy (surgical procedures i.e. gum surgery, tooth extraction and or dental implant surgery). As standard during this procedures remnant tissue is otherwise discarded.
Active Comparator: Chronic Periodontitis
Patients without depression, not taking any antidepressants and with chronic periodontitis
Procedure: Periodontal Surgery
Samples will be collected from patient in need of periodontal therapy (surgical procedures i.e. gum surgery, tooth extraction and or dental implant surgery). As standard during this procedures remnant tissue is otherwise discarded.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF)
Time Frame: baseline to 1 week
Measuring oral inflammatory markers in Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in patient with chronic periodontitis.
baseline to 1 week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Plaque
Time Frame: baseline to 1 week
Analyze the type of bacteria that is present in patient with chronic periodontitis.
baseline to 1 week

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Soft tissue
Time Frame: baseline to 1 week
Analyze the immune cells in patient with chronic periodontitis.
baseline to 1 week
Blood Serum
Time Frame: baseline to 1 week
Analyze the systemic inflammatory markers in patient with chronic periodontitis.
baseline to 1 week
Patient Health Questionnaire 8 (PHQ8)
Time Frame: baseline to 1 week
Measure depression status in patient with chronic periodontitis.
baseline to 1 week

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 12, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 30, 2019

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 29, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 11, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 12, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 12, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 10, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB-300000426
  • UAB-Perio (Other Identifier: University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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