title: A study on β-defensin-2 and histatin-5 as a diagnostic marker of early childhood caries progression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, a continuous growth of interest has been observed in antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in the light of an alarming increase in resistance of bacteria and fungi against antibiotics. AMPs are used as biomarkers in diagnosis and monitoring of oral cavity pathologies. Therefore, the determination of specific protein profiles in children diagnosed with early childhood caries (ECC) might be a basis for effective screening tests and specialized examinations which may enable progression of disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The objective of the studies was to determine the role of histatin-5 and β-defensing-2 as a diagnostic marker of early childhood caries progression. In this work, results of concentration determination of two salivary proteins (histatin-5 and β-defensin-2) were presented. In addition, bacterial profiles from dental plaque in various stages of ECC and control were marked. The assessment of alteration in the concentration of these two proteins in a study group of children with various stages of ECC and a control group consisting of children with no symptoms was performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The statistical analysis showed a significant increase in the concentration of histatin-5 and β-defensin-2 in the study group compared to the control group and correlated with the progression of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The confirmation of concentration changes in these proteins during the progression of dental caries may discover valuable disease progression biomarkers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland. anna.jurczak@uj.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jurczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland. dorota.koscielniak@uj.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kościelniak
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytobiology, Pharmacy Faculty, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland. monika.papiez@uj.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papież
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Diagnostics, Pharmacy Faculty, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, 9 Medyczna St., 30-688, Krakow, Poland. palina.vyhouskaya@mail.ru.
authors.forename: Palina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vyhouskaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Diagnostics, Pharmacy Faculty, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, 9 Medyczna St., 30-688, Krakow, Poland. wirginiakrzysciak@cm-uj.krakow.pl.
authors.forename: Wirginia
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Krzyściak
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000032:analysis; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D018450:Disease Progression; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D054808:Histatins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D052201:Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus / Q000254:growth & development; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; C106641:DEFB4A protein, human; C068075:HTN3 protein, human; D054808:Histatins; D023083:beta-Defensins