## 4 Discussion  
Non-invasive and routine laboratory examination of potential salivary biomarkers such as IL-1\(\beta\), IL-6, and CRP can be applied as a novel tool for the assessment of PIG severity in children, and could contribute towards practitioners' efforts in developing methods for the precise diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and even prevention of PIG [1]. The precise diagnosis of the state of gingival inflammation in children is important for disease monitoring and control. In this study, we estimated that salivary IL-1\(\beta\) and CRP have good diagnostic accuracy and that IL-6 showed fair diagnostic accuracy in differentiating between children with moderate and children with a severe degree of PIG. These salivary markers may be implemented in the practice of precision dental medicine. The application of these markers in children with different degrees of PIG is important for the accurate diagnosis of the state of the disease, especially of a severe degree of PIG, and for adequate therapy and treatment to prevent the progression into periodontitis. Etiologically, PIG is related to the accumulation of dental plaque, which has a tendency to increase the severity of pathological traits. The growth and maturation of dental plaque provoke inflammatory host tissue reactions. The conventional clinical parameters of the PLI and GI are applied for the evaluation of the degree of clinically manifested PIG [21]. The contemporary concept of personalized dental medicine is focused on the individual's specifics, including the progression of periodontal diseases. The sensitivity and severity of the host's immune response determine the course of inflammation on the systemic level and on the local level in the oral cavity. The processes of the immune system that occur in response to the accumulation of bacterial biofilm are influenced by a great variety of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and enzymes. Different studies have ascertained that immune cells in patients with diagnosed periodontal disorders release a greater amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to cells in periodontitis healthy individuals [21]. This corresponds to the higher salivary levels of the pro-inflammatory biomarkers of IL-6, IL-1\(\beta\), and CRP among children suffering from PIG in comparison to controls, as established in our study. Other authors also report that the salivary concentration of IL-6 is increased among individuals with gingival inflammation [24; 25]. We established a statistically significant difference in the mean levels of IL-6, IL-1\(\beta\), and CRP between children with a moderate degree of PIG and those with a severe degree of PIG. The salivary levels of these pro-inflammatory biomarkers were significantly higher in the group with a severe degree of PIG compared to the group with a moderate degree of gingivitis. This is associated with the development of the inflammatory process that occurs in parallel to the progression of gingivitis. IL-1\(\beta\) and IL-6 are characterized as basic innate cytokines and serve as key inflammatory mediators under conditions of periodontal disorder [26; 27]. IL-1\(\beta\) is secreted by monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils. This pro-inflammatory cytokine is associated with the secretion of other mediators that provoke not only inflammatory alterations but also tissue damage [27; 28]. Its function is related to the specifics of the clinical manifestation of PIG with the progression from moderate to severe degrees of PIG. The possible physiological feature connected to the decreased levels of IL-6, IL-1\(\beta\), and CRP in the group with a moderate degree of PIG could be the shift in specific