Impact of Scaling and Root Planing on Salivary and Serum Prolactin Levels in Patients With Periodontitis

Introduction Prolactin (PRL), though primarily a lactogenic hormone, additionally acts as a pro-inflammatory mediator produced by the pituitary and immune cells during inflammatory responses. Elevated PRL levels have been observed in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, including periodontitis. This study aims to compare salivary and serum PRL levels in health and periodontitis and to evaluate the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on these levels. Materials and methods Sixty participants were divided into two groups: 30 healthy individuals (Group 1) and 30 patients with generalized Stage II to IV periodontitis (Group 2). Baseline saliva and serum samples were collected from all subjects, along with clinical periodontal assessments. All participants underwent scaling and root planing (SRP) and received oral hygiene instructions. Group 2 was re-evaluated three months post-treatment, with follow-up sample collection. PRL levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with the human PRL ELISA Kit (EC Bio Labs, Delhi, India). Results In healthy individuals, salivary and serum PRL levels were 4.26 ± 1.37 ng/ml and 13.08 ± 2.47 ng/ml, respectively. In patients with periodontitis, levels significantly declined post-therapy, from 8.96 ± 1.46 to 6.30 ± 1.28 ng/mL (saliva) and 13.09 ± 2.56 to 8.10 ± 1.34 ng/mL (serum). PRL levels showed a strong baseline correlation with clinical parameters, which persisted as a weak yet significant correlation post-treatment in the periodontitis group. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that PRL can be a valuable biomarker for monitoring disease activity and treatment. Furthermore, the significant correlation between salivary and serum PRL levels suggests that PRL may be a cost-effective, minimally invasive marker linking oral and systemic health.