Pre- and post-treatment levels of serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in patients with lesions of endodontic origin: A clinical pilot study

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of lesions of endodontic origin (LEO) and their treatment on the patients’ serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 healthy patients with radiographic evidence of LEO in at least one tooth were recruited for the study, of which 11 were finally evaluated. Before initiating the endodontic treatment, 10 ml of patient’s venous was taken from the antecubital vein to assess the pre-operative serum hs-CRP levels (T0). Canals were prepared with K-files till a suitable size and irrigated with 2.5% sodium hypochlorite. At the subsequent appointment after 1 week, teeth were obturated. The patients were then recalled 30 days after the completion of endodontic therapy. Again blood samples will be taken at time-frame T1 to assess the serum hs- CRP levels. The change in pre- and post-treatment values for T0 and T1 was statistically evaluated to assess the effect of treatment on serum hs-CRP levels. Results: The mean CRP (mg/L) at T0 ± SD (Range) at baseline was 6.18 ± 3.72 (0.96–11.02) and the mean CRP at T1 ± SD (Range) was 3.92 ± 3.59 (1.108–11.04) and mean change in CRP ± SD (Range) after 30 days follow-up was −2.26 ± 3.04 (−8.26–1.16). Significance of change in CRP levels (Paired t -test) was t = 2.458; P = 0.034. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that root canal treatment reduced the levels of hs-CRP in the serum of the patients having LEO. Timely diagnosis and treatment of these lesions may have some contribution in reducing systemic inflammatory burden.