Table 2.
Comparison of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, chromogranin A, and cortisol/dehydroepiandrosterone ratio values by group.
| Healthy control (n=32) | Gingivitis (n=49) | Periodontitis (n=36) | p-value | post-hoc analysis | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mean ± SD | mean ± SD | mean ± SD | |||
| Cortisol (ng/mL) | 127.13 ± 42.57 | 231.52 ± 75.49 | 277.73 ± 113.98 | <0.001*** | Healthy control<Gingivitis, Healthy control<Periodontitis, Gingivitis<Periodontitis |
| DHEA (pg/mL) | 122.92 ± 24.35 | 226.13 ± 56.60 | 198.61 ± 35.03 | <0.001*** | Healthy control<Gingivitis, Healthy control<Periodontitis |
| Cortisol/DHEA ratio | 1.03 ± 0.20 | 1.06 ± 0.40 | 1.41 ± 0.50 | <0.001*** | Healthy control<Periodontitis, Gingivitis<Periodontitis |
| Chromogranin A (ng/mL) | 127.17 ± 46.68 | 204.71 ± 34.20 | 245.90 ± 69.31 | <0.001*** | Healthy control<Gingivitis, Healthy control<Periodontitis, Gingivitis<Periodontitis |
Analysis of variance and Tukey’s paired comparison test were used to compare the mean values among the three groups. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
***: p < 0.001. The significant results are indicated in bold. DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone.