Background: The association between tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (-308 G/A) gene polymorphisms and level of tissue destruction and periodontal disease progression is not proved.

Objectives: The present study investigated the stereological parameters of interdental papilla in chronic periodontitis (CP) patients with TNF-α (-308 G/A) gene polymorphisms.

Materials and Methods: Sixty gingiva samples were studied. After determination of TNF-α (-308 G/A) gene polymorphisms using a tetraamplificationrefractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS-PCR) technique, 45gum tissues of CP patients (40 GG, 4 GA+1 AA genotype) were considered as the case group. Fifteencontrol samples were also collected from healthy individuals. Interdental gingiva tissues were fixed in Lilli’s solution and after tissue processing were exhaustively sectioned into 4μm thick sections. Ten to 13 sections were sampled by systematic uniform random sampling (SURS) , stained with Masson’s trichrome and then the volume fractions; volume per unit volume (Vv) of the gingival components were estimated using Cavalier’s point counting method.

Results: There were statistically significant differences in the Vv of epithelium, connective tissue, collagenous and non-collagenous matrix and blood vessels between the control and CP groups (P < 0.0001) . There were no statistically significant differences in the Vv of epithelium, connective tissue of gingiva, collagenous and non-collagenous matrix and blood vessels between GG, GA, and AA genotypes in CP patients (P > 0.05) .

Conclusions: Results of the current study showed that there wasno association between TNF-α (-308 G/A) gene polymorphisms and quantitative parameters of interdental papilla in CP patients.