Salivary Enzymatic Activity and Carious Experience in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Raluca Paula Vacaru; Andreea Cristiana Didilescu; Ileana Constantinescu; Ion Mărunțelu; Mihaela Tănase; Ioana Andreea Stanciu; Wendy Esmeralda Kaman; Hendrik Simon Brand

doi:10.3390/children9030343

Salivary Enzymatic Activity and Carious Experience in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Raluca Paula Vacaru
, Andreea Cristiana Didilescu^*
, Ileana Constantinescu
, Ion Mărunțelu
, Mihaela Tănase
, Ioana Andreea Stanciu
, Wendy Esmeralda Kaman
, Hendrik Simon Brand

^*Corresponding author for this work

Oral Biochemistry

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Salivary biomolecules are considered important modulators of the oral microflora, with a potential subsequent impact on dental health. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between salivary enzymatic activity and carious experience in children. The carious experience of a sample of 22 school children was evaluated by calculating dmf/DMF indices, following WHO recommendations. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected, and salivary alpha-amylase levels, total protease activity, and matrix metalloproteinase levels (MMP-8 and MMP-9) were measured. The data were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric tests. Our findings revealed no significant relationship between the investigated salivary parameters and the carious experience in permanent teeth (DMFT/DMFS scores). Carious indices scores for primary teeth (dmft and dmfs) were positively associated with MMP-8 levels (r = 0.62, p = 0.004 and r_s = 0.61, p = 0.006, respectively) and MMP-9 levels (r = 0.45, p = 0.05 and r_s = 0.48, p = 0.039, respectively) and negatively associated with alpha-amylase levels (r_s = −0.54, p = 0.017 and r_s = −0.59, p = 0.006, respectively). Although with a marginal significance, PEK−054 levels positively correlated with dental caries, while for PFU−089, a negative correlation was observed. These results suggest that salivary alpha-amylase and MMP-8 and MMP-9 levels may be considered potential indicators of carious experience in children. Further studies with a prospective design are needed in order to elucidate the role of these biomolecules in caries development.

Original language	English
Article number	343
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Children (Basel)
Volume	9
Issue number	3
Early online date	2 Mar 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/children9030343
Publication status	Published - Mar 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Funding

This work was partially supported by a grant of the Ministry of Research and Innova-tion. This research was funded by CNCS?UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016-0506, within PNCDI III and by University of Medicine and Pharmacy ?Carol Davila?, Contract no. 23 PFE/17.10.2018 funded by the Ministry of Research and Innovation within PNCDI III, Program 1?Development of the National RD system, Subprogram 1.2?Institutional Performance?RDI excellence funding projects. Funding: This work was partially supported by a grant of the Ministry of Research and Innovation. This research was funded by CNCS—UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016-0506, within PNCDI III and by University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, Contract no. 23 PFE/17.10.2018 funded by the Ministry of Research and Innovation within PNCDI III, Program 1—Development of the National RD system, Subprogram 1.2—Institutional Performance—RDI excellence funding projects.

Keywords

Alpha-amylase
Children
Dental caries
Matrix metalloproteinase
Saliva
Total protease activity

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10.3390/children9030343

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title = "Salivary Enzymatic Activity and Carious Experience in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study",

abstract = "Salivary biomolecules are considered important modulators of the oral microflora, with a potential subsequent impact on dental health. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between salivary enzymatic activity and carious experience in children. The carious experience of a sample of 22 school children was evaluated by calculating dmf/DMF indices, following WHO recommendations. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected, and salivary alpha-amylase levels, total protease activity, and matrix metalloproteinase levels (MMP-8 and MMP-9) were measured. The data were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric tests. Our findings revealed no significant relationship between the investigated salivary parameters and the carious experience in permanent teeth (DMFT/DMFS scores). Carious indices scores for primary teeth (dmft and dmfs) were positively associated with MMP-8 levels (r = 0.62, p = 0.004 and rs = 0.61, p = 0.006, respectively) and MMP-9 levels (r = 0.45, p = 0.05 and rs = 0.48, p = 0.039, respectively) and negatively associated with alpha-amylase levels (rs = −0.54, p = 0.017 and rs = −0.59, p = 0.006, respectively). Although with a marginal significance, PEK−054 levels positively correlated with dental caries, while for PFU−089, a negative correlation was observed. These results suggest that salivary alpha-amylase and MMP-8 and MMP-9 levels may be considered potential indicators of carious experience in children. Further studies with a prospective design are needed in order to elucidate the role of these biomolecules in caries development.",

keywords = "Alpha-amylase, Children, Dental caries, Matrix metalloproteinase, Saliva, Total protease activity",

author = "Vacaru, \{Raluca Paula\} and Didilescu, \{Andreea Cristiana\} and Ileana Constantinescu and Ion M{\u a}runțelu and Mihaela T{\u a}nase and Stanciu, \{Ioana Andreea\} and Kaman, \{Wendy Esmeralda\} and Brand, \{Hendrik Simon\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

year = "2022",

month = mar,

doi = "10.3390/children9030343",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

pages = "1--12",

journal = "Children (Basel)",

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T1 - Salivary Enzymatic Activity and Carious Experience in Children

T2 - A Cross-Sectional Study

AU - Vacaru, Raluca Paula

AU - Didilescu, Andreea Cristiana

AU - Constantinescu, Ileana

AU - Mărunțelu, Ion

AU - Tănase, Mihaela

AU - Stanciu, Ioana Andreea

AU - Kaman, Wendy Esmeralda

AU - Brand, Hendrik Simon

PY - 2022/3

Y1 - 2022/3

N2 - Salivary biomolecules are considered important modulators of the oral microflora, with a potential subsequent impact on dental health. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between salivary enzymatic activity and carious experience in children. The carious experience of a sample of 22 school children was evaluated by calculating dmf/DMF indices, following WHO recommendations. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected, and salivary alpha-amylase levels, total protease activity, and matrix metalloproteinase levels (MMP-8 and MMP-9) were measured. The data were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric tests. Our findings revealed no significant relationship between the investigated salivary parameters and the carious experience in permanent teeth (DMFT/DMFS scores). Carious indices scores for primary teeth (dmft and dmfs) were positively associated with MMP-8 levels (r = 0.62, p = 0.004 and rs = 0.61, p = 0.006, respectively) and MMP-9 levels (r = 0.45, p = 0.05 and rs = 0.48, p = 0.039, respectively) and negatively associated with alpha-amylase levels (rs = −0.54, p = 0.017 and rs = −0.59, p = 0.006, respectively). Although with a marginal significance, PEK−054 levels positively correlated with dental caries, while for PFU−089, a negative correlation was observed. These results suggest that salivary alpha-amylase and MMP-8 and MMP-9 levels may be considered potential indicators of carious experience in children. Further studies with a prospective design are needed in order to elucidate the role of these biomolecules in caries development.

AB - Salivary biomolecules are considered important modulators of the oral microflora, with a potential subsequent impact on dental health. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between salivary enzymatic activity and carious experience in children. The carious experience of a sample of 22 school children was evaluated by calculating dmf/DMF indices, following WHO recommendations. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected, and salivary alpha-amylase levels, total protease activity, and matrix metalloproteinase levels (MMP-8 and MMP-9) were measured. The data were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric tests. Our findings revealed no significant relationship between the investigated salivary parameters and the carious experience in permanent teeth (DMFT/DMFS scores). Carious indices scores for primary teeth (dmft and dmfs) were positively associated with MMP-8 levels (r = 0.62, p = 0.004 and rs = 0.61, p = 0.006, respectively) and MMP-9 levels (r = 0.45, p = 0.05 and rs = 0.48, p = 0.039, respectively) and negatively associated with alpha-amylase levels (rs = −0.54, p = 0.017 and rs = −0.59, p = 0.006, respectively). Although with a marginal significance, PEK−054 levels positively correlated with dental caries, while for PFU−089, a negative correlation was observed. These results suggest that salivary alpha-amylase and MMP-8 and MMP-9 levels may be considered potential indicators of carious experience in children. Further studies with a prospective design are needed in order to elucidate the role of these biomolecules in caries development.

KW - Alpha-amylase

KW - Children

KW - Dental caries

KW - Matrix metalloproteinase

KW - Saliva

KW - Total protease activity

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AN - SCOPUS:85125959095

SN - 2227-9067

VL - 9

SP - 1

EP - 12

JO - Children (Basel)

JF - Children (Basel)

IS - 3

M1 - 343

ER -

Salivary Enzymatic Activity and Carious Experience in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

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