569 Association between periodontal disease, coronary calcium score and markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with unstable angina-a CT-based sub-study from the ATHERODENT clinical trial
Authors: Rodean I-P , Lazar L , Opincariu D E , Rat N , Hodas R I , Ratiu M , Chitu M , Benedek T H , Benedek I 
Published: January 2020

Funding Acknowledgements

PlaqueImage financed by the National Authority of Scientific Research and Innovation and the Romanian Ministry of European Funding

Background

The relationship between periodontal disease (PD) and chronic inflammation is well established. PD leads to increased cardiovascular risk and favours development of acute coronary syndromes; however, the association between PD and markers of subclinical atherosclerosis has not been elucidated so far.

Purpose

To evaluate the interrelation between severity of PD, coronary calcium, subclinical atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability in patients with unstable angina, who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

Methods

Fifty-two patients with unstable angina were enrolled in the ATHERODENT clinical trial (NCT03395041). All patients underwent: (1) complex dental examination for assessment of periodontal status, expressed by the total periodontal index (PI) evaluating the following indices: gingival index, plaque index, tantrum index, furcation index, mobility, loss of attachment, pocket depth and papillary bleeding index, (2) CCTA for analysis of morphology, composition and vulnerability features of the culprit plaques causing myocardial schema. For each patient, coronary calcium score, body mass index, neck circumference, abdominal circumference and Intima-media thickness of the carotid artery were calculated. According to the median value of the total PI (set by 22) the study population was divided into two groups: group 1 included 26 patients with low PI (normal gum or gingivitis) and group 2 included 26 patients with high PI (periodontitis and severe PD).

Results

In patients with high PI the plaque volume (p = 0.019) and the non-calcified volume (p = 0.002) were more increased compared with patients with low PI. In patients with high risk features in the culprit coronary plaques (positive remodelling, low density atheroma, spotty calcification and napkin ring sign) the severity of PD was more expressed compared with those with low risk plaques (28.20+/-13.34 vs. 18.71+/-11.31, p = 0.001). From all PI indices, loss of gingival attachments (3.6 +/-2.91 vs. 1.66 +/- 1.8, p = 0.009) and papillary bleeding index (4.5 +/-3.06 vs. 2.04+/-1.96, p = 0.002) were significantly correlated with the plaque vulnerability. there was no significant correlation between PI and the markers of subclinical atherosclerosis expressed by the neck circumference, abdominal circumference and IMT of the carotid artery. However, total PI presented significantly correlation with the total coronary artery calcium score (r = 0.45, p = 0.0008). A higher calcium score was identified in patients with high PI compared with those with low PI (505.29 +/-478.64 vs. 93.82+/-233.0, p = 0.0001).

Conclusions

In patients with vulnerable coronary plaques, subclinical atherosclerosis is not correlated with PI. However, the severity of PD is directly associated with the total calcium score and with a more vulnerable phenotype of the atheromatous coronary plaques.