# Quantitative Estimation of Periodontal Inflammation and Tissue Destruction with High-Resolution Ultrasound-Based Imaging - Admin Supp

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2021 · $36,768

## Abstract

ABSTRACT (from parent grant application)
Periodontitis, initiated by bacterial infection and compounded by host inflammatory response, is a leading
cause of tooth loss affecting welfare of 65 million US adults. Mounting evidence suggests periodontitis is also
associated with systemic health, mostly through a common link, inflammation. Therefore, diagnosis and
treatment of periodontal inflammation would potentially improve general health. Current clinical measures of
periodontal inflammation are visual inspection and “bleeding on probing (BOP)”. Unfortunately, they are
subjective and insensitive to detect disease activity. Targeted imaging of subclinical signs of inflammation, e.g.
increased vascularity, interstitial fluid and tissue loss, etc., would shed light on precise diagnosis and timely
treatment of this deliberating disease non-invasively at chairside. Some quantitative ultrasound biomarkers,
e.g. backscatter, elasticity, color flow, and power Doppler have been investigated extensively in medicine in
recent years and have been recognized as validated for evaluating inflammation of specific body organs. They
would be potential candidates to measure periodontal inflammation objectively. A miniature sized (16.2 mm),
high-imaging resolution (~60 µm) ultrasound probe prototype was developed by our group specifically for use
in the constrainted oral cavity and has been validated for accurately imaging periodontal tissues. It is ready for
use on a commercially available ultrasound system for collecting the above-mentioned quantitative ultrasound
parameters. The hypothesis driving this proposal is that non-invasive and quantitative ultrasound can be used
to estimate degree/extent of periodontal inflammation that could eventually lead to early detection of
periodontal attachment and bone loss. The aims of this proposal are two folds: (1) Establish quantitative
ultrasound based imaging biomarkers, i.e., B-mode (Quantitative Ultrasound, QUS), tissue strain as well as
fractional blood volume using phantoms with known properties and (2) Perform correlation testing for
determining inflammation extent/severity between the non-invasive ultrasound imaging biomarkers and the
invasive histology/molecular biology, using an established preclinical porcine model. Successful outcomes of
this investigation will lead to novel, objective and precise ultrasound biomarkers that can estimate
severity/extent of periodontal inflammation. Subsequently, the predictability of detecting disease activity
individually and collectively will be evaluated through longitudinal preclinical and human studies. Ultimately,
we intend to develop clinical guidelines and a clinical imaging protocol for routine oral care to alleviate the
tremendous burden of periodontitis affecting millions of US adults.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10358923
- **Project number:** 3R21DE029005-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Hsun-Liang Chan
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $36,768
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-04-23 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10358923

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10358923, Quantitative Estimation of Periodontal Inflammation and Tissue Destruction with High-Resolution Ultrasound-Based Imaging - Admin Supp (3R21DE029005-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10358923. Licensed CC0.

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