title: Antioxidant capacity of human saliva and periodontal screening assessment in healthy adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Saliva plays a pivotal role as an antioxidant system, and saliva antioxidant levels are reduced in patients with periodontal disease. Recently, a biochemical test able to determine saliva antioxidant levels was proposed as predictive for oral cavity diseases, but it was not clinically tested. In this preliminary study, we evaluated the relationships between Periodontal Screening and Recordings characteristics of patients and saliva antioxidant levels measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine patients (12 men, 27 women; mean age, 46 years, SD 17) attending the dental hygiene unit of a Private Clinic underwent a Periodontal Screening and Recordings examination and a saliva antioxidant levels measurement using a biochemical commercial test. The results of the clinical periodontal examination were compared to those obtained by the saliva test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 70% of patients showed a low saliva antioxidant levels value, while the other patients had Optimal/Normal values. Thirteen patients (33%) resulted positive to Periodontal Screening and Recordings test. Using Periodontal Screening and Recordings values as gold standard, the saliva antioxidant levels test correctly classified 52.6% of patients; sensitivity was 84.6%, specificity was 36%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The saliva antioxidant levels test had a good sensitivity when compared to the gold standard; this finding corroborates the hypothesis that alterations of the oral antioxidant levels are related to periodontal disease. The reduced specificity shows that saliva antioxidant levels test could detect alterations predisposing to periodontal disease before clinically evident aspects.
authors.affiliation: Functional Anatomy Research Center (FARC), Laboratorio di Anatomia Funzionale dell'Apparato Stomatognatico, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 31, 20133 Milano, Italy; Private practice, SST Dental Clinic, via Martiri della Libertà 58, 20090 Segrate, MI, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluca Martino
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Tartaglia
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 31, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gagliano
authors.affiliation: Private practice, SST Dental Clinic, via Martiri della Libertà 58, 20090 Segrate, MI, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zarbin
authors.affiliation: Private practice, SST Dental Clinic, via Martiri della Libertà 58, 20090 Segrate, MI, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tolomeo
authors.affiliation: Functional Anatomy Research Center (FARC), Laboratorio di Anatomia Funzionale dell'Apparato Stomatognatico, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 31, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: chiarella.sforza@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Chiarella
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sforza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants
keywords: Oxidative stress; Periodontal conditions; Periodontal screening and recordings; Saliva; Saliva antioxidant levels