the effects of obesity on local and circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in patients with chronic periodontitis

background and aims. the aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effects of obesity on the local (salivary) and systemic tnf-α and il-6 levels in patients with chronic periodontitis (cp). materials and methods. this study included 88 subjects assigned to four groups of 22 subjects each, as follows: group o+p+ (patients with obesity and cp), group o-p+ (patients with normal weight and cp), group o+p- (periodontally healthy patients with obesity), and the control group, group o-p- (periodontally healthy patients with normal weight). serum and salivary samples were obtained a week before the recording of clinical periodontal parameters. local and systemic tnf-α and il-6 levels were determined biochemically. results. in serum and saliva, both tnf-α and il-6 levels were the lowest in o-p- group (p < 0.05). the highest tnf-α and il-6 levels were observed in o+p+ group, while only il-6 levels were statistically significant (p < 0.05). conclusion. obesity upregulated the salivary and serum levels of tnf-α and il-6. in patients with periodontitis, who were also obese, the serum and saliva levels of il-6 were significantly high. obesity might play a destructive and provocative role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis by negatively affecting il-6 levels.