EVALUATING SOME OF ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES IN SALIVA OF CHILDREN WITH EARLY AND SEVERE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Pediatric dentistry, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

2 Professor of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry and Dental Public Health Faculty of Dentistry - Suez Canal University

3 Biochimestry department, faculty of medicine,suez canal university

4 Pediatric, Preventive Dentistry and Dental Public Health Faculty of Dentistry Suez Canal University

Abstract

Introduction: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) provide a first line of defense
against a wide spectrum of pathogens. Their availability in un-stimulated saliva
implies their potential role in protecting tooth structure from bacterially induced
caries. So, the presence of AMPs in saliva may be a biological factor that contributes
to susceptibility or resistance to caries. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate some of
AMPs in saliva cathelicidin (LL-37), Human β defensin-2 (HβD-2) and histatin-5
(HTN-5) in three groups of children with caries free, early and severe early childhood
caries (S-ECC). Material and Methods: A 42 apparently healthy children aged from
3-5 years of both sexes. According to dmfs index the selected children were divided
into three groups. Un-stimulated saliva was collected from children for measuring the
concentrations of (LL-37), (HβD-2) and (HTN-5) by ELISA test. Results: Salivary
concentration of HβD-2 and LL-37 did not differ in the three groups. There was a
statistically significant difference of HTN-5 in the three groups. Data showed that, dmfs
were positive correlated with HβD-2 and LL-37 and negative correlated with HTN-5.
Conclusion: The lower levels of HTN-5 might associate with S-ECC, but salivary
concentrations of HβD-2 and LL-37 might not associate with the severity of dental
caries, so it is not possible to conclude that these AMPs levels in saliva can be used as
caries risk predictors in children

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Dental Science Updates
Volume 6, Issue 2
September 2025
Pages 275-280

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