Clinical and microbiological effects of azithromycin in the treatment of generalized chronic periodontitis: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of systemic azithromycin (AZM) as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) in the treatment of generalized chronic periodontitis (ChP).

METHODS

Forty subjects were randomly assigned to receive SRP alone or combined with AZM (500 mg/day) for 5 days (n=20/group). Clinical and microbiological examinations were performed at baseline, 6 months and 1-year post-SRP. Nine plaque samples per subject were analysed by checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization for 40 bacterial species. Differences between groups were assessed using the Mann-Whitney test and over time using Friedman and Dunn's tests.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were observed between groups for any parameters evaluated at 1-year post-treatments. Both therapies equally reduced the mean probing depth (PD) (SRP: 3.83 ± 1.92, AZM: 3.45 ± 1.74) and improved the mean clinical attachment (SRP: 2.35 ± 1.70, AZM: 2.68 ± 1.76) in sites with initial PD7 mm (primary outcome variable) between baseline and 1 year. The mean counts and proportions of several periodontal pathogens were reduced, and those of host-beneficial species were increased after treatments. Nonetheless, an important recolonization with red complex species was observed in both groups over the course of the study.

CONCLUSION

The data of the present study suggest no adjunctive benefit of AZM in the treatment of generalized ChP.