Total Antioxidant Capacity and Total Oxidant Status in Saliva of Periodontitis Patients in Relation to Bacterial Load

Abstract

The detection of salivary biomarkers has a potential application in early diagnosis and monitoring of periodontal inflammation. However, searching sensitive salivary biomarkers for periodontitis is still ongoing. Oxidative stress is supposed to play an important role in periodontitis progression and tissue destruction. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) in saliva of periodontitis patients compared to healthy controls and their relationship with periodontopathic bacteria and periodontal disease severity. Unstimulated saliva was collected from 45 patients with generalized severe periodontitis and 37 healthy individuals and the TAC/TOS were measured. In addition, salivary levels of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Fusobacterium nucleatum in saliva were measured. Salivary TAC was lower in periodontitis patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, a significant negative correlation of salivary TAC with clinical attachment loss was observed in periodontitis patients. No significant difference in the salivary TOS was observed between periodontitis patients and healthy controls. Bacterial load was enhanced in periodontitis patients and exhibited correlation with periodontal disease severity but not with salivary TAC/TOS. Our data suggest that changes in antioxidant capacity in periodontitis patients are not associated with increased bacterial load and are probably due to a dysregulated immune response.

Keywords: oxidative stress; periodontopathic bacteria; saliva; total antioxidant capacity; total oxidant status.

Figure 1

Detection of different periodontal pathogens in saliva of healthy individuals and periodontitis patients. The results of semiquantitative analysis of the presence of periodontal pathogens in the saliva are presented. The detection rate of P. gingivalis (Pg), T. denticola (Td), and T. forsythia (Tf) was significantly higehr in periodontits patients than in control group. No significant difference in the detection rate of A. actinomycetemcomitans and F. nucleatum was detected.

Figure 2

Oxidative stress parameter in the control and periodontitis groups. Salivary total antioxidant capacity (A) and total oxidant status (B) are presented as mean ± s.e.m. ^*Significantly different vs. control group, p < 0.05, t-test.

Figure 3

Relationship between salivary TAC and clinical parameters in periodontitis patients. Relationships salivary TAC vs. CAL (A) and salivary TAC vs. BOP (B) are presented. Each point represents one periodontitis patient. Spearman rank correlation test revealed a significant negative correlation between salivary TAC and CAL (r = −0.312, p < 0.05) and a non-significant negative correlation between salivary TAC and BOP (r = −0.258, p = 0.087).

Figure 4

Clinical parameters of periodontitis patients depending on the bacterial load. PPD (A), number of teeth with PPD ≥ 5 mm (B), and BOP (C) in subgroups of periodontitis patients based on the results of the semiquantitative bacterial analysis in the saliva: negative (group “−”), from (+) to ++ (group “≤ ++”), and +++ (group “+++”). Data are presented as mean ± s.e.m. ^*Significantly different with p < 0.05.

Figure 5

Oxidative stress parameters depending on the bacterial load. Salivary TAC (A) and TOS (B) in subgroups of periodontitis patients based on the results of the semiquantitative bacterial analysis in the saliva: negative (group “−”), from (+) to ++ (group “≤ ++”), and +++ (group “+++”). Data are presented as mean ± s.e.m.