title: Total serum oxidant/antioxidant status and arylesterase activity in recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder of the oral mucosa with unknown etiology. Oxidative stress (OS) is suggested to play a main role in the etiopathogenesis in RAS.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we hypothesize that a systemic OS is present in patients with RAS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four patients with active RAS lesions and 38 healthy controls were being included in the study. Serum total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and paraoxonase 1 arylesterase (ARES) activity were being determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RAS patients had significantly lower TAS levels and higher TOS and OSI values than controls. The patients had a lower ARES activity when compared to healthy controls. No correlations were observed between OS parameters and age, gender, duration of disease or frequency of RAS attacks per month.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A systemic OS is determined with an imbalance in oxidant/antioxidant status and lower ARES activity in RAS. Systemic OS may have an important role in the pathogenesis of RAS formation.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Clinic, Ankara Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gulsen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akoglu
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Metin
authors.forename: Fadime
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kilinc
authors.forename: Suzan Demir
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Pektas
authors.forename: Semra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isikoglu
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbas
authors.forename: Sertac
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sener
keywords: Arylesterase activity; Oxidative stress; Recurrent aphthous stomatitis; Total antioxidant status; Total oxidant status