Salivary peptide profile and its association with early childhood caries.
BACKGROUND
As dietary management during early childhood is a great barrier in caries control, there is a need for the identification of intrinsic risk factors, capable of allowing the use of a more cost-effective approach to early childhood caries (ECC).


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the salivary peptide profile of children with and without ECC and its association with caries experience.


METHODS
One hundred and six 10- to 71-month-old children participated in the study. Caries experience was determined through the visual/tactile method, based on the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth, and surface scores (dmft/dmfs). Whole saliva was collected for mutans streptococci (MS) detection and peptide analysis.


RESULTS
Chromatograms from CF (children without caries experience, n = 58) and CE (children with caries experience, n = 48) saliva pools expressed different patterns. Identification of molecular masses suggested the presence of nine peptides. Three of them were significantly related with caries experience. HNP-3 (α-defensin 3) (P = 0.019) and HBD-3 (β-defensin 3) (P = 0.034) reduced the chances of experiencing ECC. Proline-rich peptides IB-4 significantly increased caries experience (P = 0.035). Age (P = 0.020) and MS counts (P = 0.036) increased caries experience; however, gender was not associated with dental caries (P = 0.877).


CONCLUSIONS
Specific salivary peptides of CF or CE children in early childhood predispose to a higher or lower risk of caries experience.
Department of Clinical Dentistry, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
Thyciana Rodrigues
TR
Ribeiro
Karl J
KJ
Dria
Cibele Barreto Mano
CB
de Carvalho
André Jalles
AJ
Monteiro
Manassés Claudino
MC
Fonteles
Krishnamurti
K
de Moraes Carvalho
Cristiane Sá Roriz
CS
Fonteles
D000367:Age Factors; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000032:analysis; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D058491:Bacterial Load; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002845:Chromatography; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D054808:Histatins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology; D055273:Salivary Proline-Rich Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D023084:alpha-Defensins / Q000032:analysis; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000032:analysis; D054804:Cathelicidins
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; C406407:DEFB1 protein, human; C422950:DEFB103A protein, human; C106641:DEFB4A protein, human; C068075:HTN3 protein, human; D054808:Histatins; C018149:STATH protein, human; D055273:Salivary Proline-Rich Proteins; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D023084:alpha-Defensins; D023083:beta-Defensins; C406413:human neutrophil peptide 1; C406416:human neutrophil peptide 2; C406427:human neutrophil peptide 3; C406428:human neutrophil peptide 4; D054804:Cathelicidins