Relationship between C-reactive protein and periodontal disease: A new tale of an old molecule

Oral fluids are a substrate for a new generation of non-invasive diagnostic tools through the development of ultra- and high-sensitive detection systems and the fact that they contain many serum analytes that reflect normal function or disease status.Within the oral cavity C-reactive protein (CRP) has been detected in both gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and saliva, and is considered to be an important biomarker for systemic disease.We review the biological properties of CRP, the association between CRP and periodontal disease, and the possibility that CRP may be a potent therapeutic target. A systematic search for data related to the association between CRP and periodontal disease was performed to recognize studies on animals and human (PUBMED, MEDLINE, COCHRANE, and Google search). Keywords: Acute phase reactants, Creactive protein, Cardiovascular disease, Periodontal disease.