Analysis of oxidative stress biomarkers in caries-free and caries-active children and adolescents

In the presence of dental caries, there may be an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the ability of antioxidant enzymes to eliminate them, defined as oxidative stress, which can cause tissue damage. Several biomarkers have been used to assess oxidative stress, such as the antioxidant capacity of saliva (CAT) and salivary uric acid (SUA). The objective of this work was to evaluate the relationship between the antioxidant capacity of saliva (CAT) and salivary uric acid (SUA) with dental caries. A case-control study was carried out with 100 systemically healthy individuals, aged 12 to 15 years old. CAT and uric acid were analyzed by spectrophotometry. The data were analyzed by SPSS 18.0 using frequencies and independent t test. For groups with male and female caries, respectively, there was an increase of 72.88% and 73.01% of CAT compared to the control groups. Regarding the concentration of salivary uric acid (SUA), for groups with male and female caries, respectively, there was an increase of 44.75% and 123.33% in SUA compared to the control groups. Therefore, considering that the manifestations of CAT and SUA have a relationship with dental caries, saliva can be an important tool for the diagnosis of oxidative stress.