| abstract |
An in vitro method for assessing whether a human patient has gingivitis is disclosed. The method is based on the insight of determining biomarker proteins. Thus, in a saliva sample of a patient suffering from gingivitis, the concentration of a specific combination of proteins is measured. One such combination is alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (A1AGP) and at least one of the following: matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP8), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF), hemoglobin beta subunit (Hb-beta), and S100 calcium binding protein A8(S100A 8). Based on the measured concentration, a value reflecting the combined concentration of the proteins is determined. This value is compared to a threshold value, which reflects the combined concentration associated with gingivitis in the same way. The comparison allows to assess whether the test value indicates the presence of gingivitis in said patient. Thus, in general, a test value that reflects a combined concentration below the combined concentration reflected by the threshold value indicates the absence of gingivitis in the patient, and a test value that reflects a combined concentration equal to or above the combined concentration reflected by the threshold value indicates the patient has gingivitis. |