Salivary proteins, before and after treatment of periodontal disease

Objectives: To study the variations in salivary protein composition of Venezuelan patients with periodontal disease before and after treatment.

Methods: Prior informed consent participated 16 individuals (20 - 60 years old) and were classified into Controls (3) and patients with chronic periodontitis, moderate to severe (13). Before obtaining samples of saliva, the patients were at least an hour without eating, drinking, smoking, and without oral hygiene methods. 2 mL were collected from non-stimulated saliva. The protein concentration was determined by Lowry's method (1951). The electrophoretic patterns were performed in polyacrylamide gels (Laemmli, 1970), stained with silver (Merril et al. 1979). We also determined the concentrations of Ca²⁺ and PO₄^3- using the method of Fiske-Subbarow (1925) and the colorimetric method with ortho-cresolftaleína complexona respectively.

Results: In salivary proteins from patients with periodontitis were observed bands of 14 and 15 kDa that do not appear in healthy controls. These proteins do not appear to be products of proteolysis, because protease inhibitors were used to take samples. Moreover these proteins are not observed or decrease their density in the same patients after non-surgical periodontal treatment. The concentration of PO₄^3-and protein in controls was 5.13 +1.67 mM and 2.52 +0.79 mg / ml, respectively. In patients with periodontal disease was 5.95 +2.76 mM and 4.46 +1.78 mg / ml. The concentration of Ca²⁺ in controls was 0.86 +0.155 mM and in patients with periodontal disease was 1.115 +0.3 mM.

Conclusion: Presence of low molecular mass proteins could be useful for the diagnosis of periodontitis.

Research work supported by CDCH-UCV to Dra. Valentina Salas, PI and The Sigma Foundation for Dental Research to Luis A. Guevara.