Role of Statins in Periodontitis- An overview

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease which represents a primarily anaerobic Gram-negative oral infection that results in gingival inflammation, loss of attachment, bone destruction. Certain organisms within the microbial flora of dental plaque are the major etiologic agents of periodontitis which produce endotoxins in the form of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that are instrumental in generating a host?mediated tissue destructive immune response by mobilizing their defensive cells and releasing cytokines like Interleukin?1??(IL?1?), Tumor Necrosis Factor???(TNF??), and Interleukin?6 (IL?6),which lead to tissue destruction by stimulating the production of the collagenolytic enzymes: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Statins, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors, besides having lipid-lowering abilities also have antioxidant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and osteomodulatory properties. All of these pleiotropic effects of statins point out to it perhaps becoming the novel host modulation agent in periodontics.