Analysis of intracellular enzymes in saliva of patients with aggressive periodontitis

Abstract

Introduction. Aggressive periodontitis is characterized by rapid destruction of periodontal tissue. It is more commonly found in young adults. Analysis of biochemical markers in saliva is very important to monitor the level of periodontal tissue destruction. The aim of this study was to analyze the intracellular enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the saliva of patients with aggressive periodontitis. Material and Methods. The study included 22 patients with aggressive periodontitis and 28 healthy subjects (control group). Enzyme activity was measured in mixed non-stimulated saliva using kinetic methods in a spectrophotometer and expressed in international units per litre (U/L). Results. The activity of enzymes ALT and ALP was significantly higher in saliva of patients with aggressive periodontitis compared to healthy subjects, while AST activity was not significantly different. Also, there was no correlation between the activity of intracellular enzymes in saliva and clinical parameters such as gingival index, bleeding index, probing depth in patients with aggressive periodontitis. Conclusion. Obtained results indicate that salivary enzymes AST, ALT and ALP can be used as biochemical markers to aid in diagnosis of aggressive periodontitis.

Keywords

• aggressive periodontitis
• ALP
• ALT
• AST
• intracellular enzymes
• saliva