A comparative study of alpha-defensin3 and cathepsin-G concentration in children with early childhood Caries and children without Early Childhood Caries

Introduction: The importance of saliva in the prevention of caries is well known. Saliva contains some antimicrobial peptides. The aim of this study was to compare the concentration of alpha-defensin 3 and cathepsin-G in saliva of children affected with early childhood caries (ECC) and caries-free (CF) children. Material and methods: This case-control study was performed on 80 children aged 3 to 6 years in two groups of ECC (n = 40) and CF (n = 40). Salivary samples were obtained from children. The levels of alpha-defensin 3 and cathepsin-G were measured using ELISA method. The data was analyzed via SPSS version 21 and independent t-test and chi-square test were used. Results: The mean concentrations of alpha-defensin 3 and cathepsin-G in the ECC group were 92.88 and 139.40 qubic micro meter, respectively, and in the CF group were 64.68 and 65.30 qubic micro meter, respectively. These differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Considering other variables, only the salivary cathepsin G concentration was significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.030) and alpha-defensin 3 difference between two groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.187). That is, the effect of alpha-defensin 3 concentration is no longer significant by adjusting for other variables. Conclusion: Since 3- to -6 year-old children are at high risk of dental caries, evaluation of these two salivary markers may be useful in determining the risk of ECC.