It has been previously observed that the blood citric acid content of patients with severe early destructive periodontal disease is significantly higher than normal, and that the cellular metabolic activity in the periodontal tissues is depressed under the hypercitricemic conditions. It seems, therefore, likely that in the treatment on some patients with periodontal disease whose blood citrate levels are high, a systemic therapy should be considered for the specific purpose of lowering blood citrate in an effort to stimulate cellular activity in the periodontal tissues.
More recently, we and our coworkers have newly found that coenzyme Q (ubiquinone) improves the disturbed metabolism of citric acid induced by alloxan-diabetes or ascorbic acid deficiency. These experiments urged us to administrate this drug to patients with periodontal disease.
This communication deals with the clinical investigations regarding the effect of coenzyme Q₇ on the hypercitricemia of patients with periodontal disease.
The oral administration of coenzyme Q₇, at a daily dose of 30 mg, . everyday for 10 days was effective to improve the hypercitricemia of 35 cases with periodontal disease. The side effect of this drug was not found in all test subjects. Those individuals whose blood citrate levels were remarkably restored to normal levels exhibited a good periodontal response to local treatment with the improvement of systemic conditions.