Salivary antioxidants and physicochemical characteristics related to periodontal disease among a group of old adults

Abstract EN

Background : Old adults experienced pronounced oral changes.

Saliva composition particularly the antioxidants showed significant changes with advancing age.

The aims of this study were to assess salivary antioxidants and lipid peroxidation biomarker (malondialdehyde) levels in addition to salivary physicochemical characteristics and their effect on periodontal disease among a group of old adults in comparison with middle-aged.

Materials and methods : The study group consisted of all old adults (35 subjects) aged 55-65 years in comparison with all middle-aged (35 subjects) aged 30-40 years at the Textile factory in Mosul city who fitted the criteria of the study.

Periodontal disease was evaluated by using the gingival index, periodontal pocket depth and clinical attachment level.

Unstimulated salivary samples were collected and salivary flow rate and pH were determined.

Salivary samples then were chemically analyzed for the detection of salivary antioxidants (total protein, albumin, vitamin E, vitamin C and uric acid) and lipid peroxidation biomarker (malondialdehyde) in addition to salivary constituents as urea, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium.

Results : Antioxidants level (total protein, albumin, vitamin E, and vitamin C) was lower among old adults compared to middle-aged ones with significant difference for vitamin C only.

Malondialdehyde was slightly higher among old adults with no significant difference.

Statistically no significant difference could be found regarding salivary flow rate and pH between the two age groups.

Salivary constituents (urea, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium) showed no significant difference between the two age groups.

Mean gingival index was highly significantly higher among old adults.

The extent of pocket depth was higher among old adults at ≥ 4 and ≥ 5 mm thresholds but ≥ 7 mm threshold was absent among them.

Clinical attachment level extent was higher among old adults at all thresholds of severity.

Salivary albumin revealed inverse significant correlation with severe thresholds of clinical attachment level (i.

e.

≥ 7, ≥ 8, ≥ 9 mm).

Lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde) showed positive highly significant correlation with ≥ 9 mm attachment level threshold among old adults.

Salivary flow rate revealed inverse correlation with almost all clinical attachment level thresholds among old adults.

Conclusions : Periodontal disease revealed higher severity among old adults.

Salivary antioxidants and physicochemical characteristics were found to affect periodontal health status among old adults.