Assessment of serum and salivary malondialdehyde in patients with oral lichen planus

Abstract EN

Resulting from the increased production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species and / or a decrease in antioxidant defense leads to damage of biological macromolecules and dysregulation of normal metabolism and physiology.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory oral mucosal disease of unknown cause.

It has been proven that the imbalances in free radical levels and reactive oxygen species with antioxidants may play a key role in the onset and evolution of several inflammatory oral pathologies.

The aim of this study was to assess the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of OLP through the study of serum and saliva malondialdehyde as a marker of oxidative stress.

Methods : The study included (48) patients with OLP (21) with the reticular form and (27) with erosive form and (32) healthy looking volunteers that were age-matched with the patients.

Serum and saliva malondialdehyde was measured by reacting with thiobarbituric acid under acidic conditions and heating to a pink color that measured spectrophotometricaly at 532 nm.

Results : the mean of serum and saliva malondialdehyde in oral lichen planus patients group was significantly higher than that of control group (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05 respectively) and there was no statistically significant differences in serum and saliva malondialdehyde when compared between reticular and erosive forms (p > 0.05).

The study showed that there was no statistically significant correlation between serum and saliva malondialdehyde levels in OLP patients group (r = 0.053, p > 0.05).

Conclusion : Increased serum and salivary malondialdehyde levels refer to the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of OLP.