Periodontal Inflammation and Epigenetics in Obese Individuals

May 20, 2026 updated by: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans

Association Between Epigenetic Changes, Periodontal Microbiota, And Periodontal Inflammation in Obese Individuals

The goal of this study is to investigate the long-term changes in host epigenetic modifications in obese individuals with periodontitis. The aims of the study are:

• To monitor longitudinal changes in host epigenetic modifiers following non-surgical periodontal therapy in periodontitis patients Study subjects would be categorized into two groups, non-obese with periodontitis, and obese with periodontitis. The study will primarily evaluate changes among these groups cross-sectionally, then longitudinally following non-surgical periodontal therapy (deep cleaning) to determine if any changes occur with treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease process primarily caused by microorganisms, which affects the tooth-supporting structures and can eventually lead to tooth loss. Oral health is a reflection of general health. Accordingly, obesity can influence periodontitis and increase its severity. The study participants will be categorized into two groups as described above. Enrolled participants will be balanced for distribution of age, gender, ethnicity, and general health.

The objective of this pilot study is to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal changes in host epigenetic modifications in obese individuals with periodontitis. The investigators intend to examine these host epigenetic changes in obese and non-obese individuals with both periodontal health and periodontitis. The study will primarily evaluate longitudinal changes following non-surgical periodontal therapy (considered the gold standard for the initial treatment of periodontitis) to determine whether any modifications occur with treatment.

To control for other factors affecting periodontitis, the investigators plan to exclude diabetic participants, document oral hygiene habits, and monitor periodontal microorganisms and inflammatory mediators in the groups for further associations. In summary, the study will identify important epigenetic signatures in obese participants with periodontal disease compared to those with periodontal health as a potential causal factor linking the two conditions.

The investigators hypothesize that epigenetic programs in obese individuals will influence the severity of periodontal disease by altering inflammatory pathways and the microbial environment.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

40

Phase

  • 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 Contact

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Jeanne St.Germain, RDH, B.S.
  • Phone Number: 504-941-8276
  • Email: jstge1@lsuhsc.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Louisiana
      • New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 70119
        • LSU Health Science Centre, School of Dentistry
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged ≥18 years,
  • No history of periodontal therapy in the last 6 months,
  • No use of tobacco,
  • No history of pregnancy lactation or contraceptive medication.
  • Need to have a minimum of 20 teeth.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Had antimicrobial/antiviral therapy in the previous 3 months,
  • History of uncontrolled diabetes,
  • History of rheumatoid arthritis,
  • History of osteoporosis,
  • History of oral cancer,
  • Currently taking hormonal contraception,
  • If pregnant or lactating currently or prior 6 months,
  • Subjects on current weight loss drugs
  • If planning weight reduction surgery during the time of the study
  • Any other condition, disease or therapy with documented influence on oral inflammation and/or oral microbial environment.

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
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: non-obese with periodontitis
Non-surgical periodontal therapy will be administered
Procedure: Non-surgical periodontal therapy will be administered
Non-surgical periodontal therapy (Deep cleaning-SRP): The deep cleaning by a scaling and root planing (SRP) procedure, is the standard initial treatment for all individuals diagnosed with periodontitis (periodontal disease). At the initial treatment planning appointment, each subject will receive intra-oral and extra-oral examination along with full mouth examination of the periodontal status, followed by diagnosis and treatment planning. The subject will then be scheduled for a deep cleaning procedure. The Deep cleaning procedure are carried out using hand instruments and ultrasonic instruments.
Other Names:
  • Scaling and root planing
Active Comparator: obese with periodontitis
Non-surgical periodontal therapy will be administered
Procedure: Non-surgical periodontal therapy will be administered
Non-surgical periodontal therapy (Deep cleaning-SRP): The deep cleaning by a scaling and root planing (SRP) procedure, is the standard initial treatment for all individuals diagnosed with periodontitis (periodontal disease). At the initial treatment planning appointment, each subject will receive intra-oral and extra-oral examination along with full mouth examination of the periodontal status, followed by diagnosis and treatment planning. The subject will then be scheduled for a deep cleaning procedure. The Deep cleaning procedure are carried out using hand instruments and ultrasonic instruments.
Other Names:
  • Scaling and root planing

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Host-specific epigenetic signatures
Time Frame: Baseline/Day 1
Gingival crevicular fluid and saliva will be analyzed to study epigenetic signatures
Baseline/Day 1
Inflammatory cytokine profiles
Time Frame: Baseline/Day 1
Gingival crevicular fluid and saliva will be analyzed to study inflammatory cytokine profiles.
Baseline/Day 1
Periodontal microbial composition
Time Frame: Baseline/Day 1
Subgingival plague will be analyzed to study periodontal microbial composition
Baseline/Day 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Host epigenetic modifiers pre- and post-therapy
Time Frame: Baseline/Day 1, Day 30, Day 90
Gingival crevicular fluid and saliva will be analyzed to study epigenetic changes.
Baseline/Day 1, Day 30, Day 90
Inflammatory cytokine changes pre- and post-therapy
Time Frame: Baseline/Day 1, Day 30, Day 90
Gingival crevicular fluid and saliva will be analyzed to study inflammatory cytokine changes.
Baseline/Day 1, Day 30, Day 90
Periodontal microbial changes pre- and post-therapy
Time Frame: Baseline/Day 1, Day 30, Day 90
Subgingival plague will be analyzed to study periodontal microbial changes.
Baseline/Day 1, Day 30, Day 90

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans

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 (Estimated)

May 25, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 19, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 20, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 8320 (New York State Psychiatric Institute Institutional Review Board)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Aggregated data will be published as a peer reviewed manuscript.

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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