Assessing salivary innate immune responses in adolescents with dentofacial abnormalities and central precocious puberty

Abstract

Relevance. Central precocious puberty (CPP), characterized by a high incidence of 60% among endocrinopathies during puberty, significantly influences dentofacial development and the local immune defense mechanisms in adolescents. However, the impact on saliva's innate immune function remains underexplored.This study aims to evaluate the innate immune function of saliva in individuals with CPP coexisting with dentofacial abnormalities.Materials and methods. An analysis of saliva biochemical markers was conducted on 59 adolescents diagnosed with CPP and dentofacial abnormalities, alongside a control group of 21 age-matched individuals with dentofacial abnormalities but without systemic conditions, aged 13-18 years. The evaluation focused on lysozyme and urease levels, dysbiosis markers indicating oral microbiota status, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and catalase activity to gauge the balance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant systems, alongside proteolytic enzyme elastase activity.Results. Adolescents with combined CPP and dentofacial abnormalities exhibited weakened antioxidant and antibacterial defenses, evidenced by decreased catalase activity (0.105 ± 0.020 mkat/l, p < 0.001) and lysozyme levels (54.7 ± 3.2 U/l, p < 0.02), against a backdrop of increased lipoperoxidation and microbial contamination (MDA levels at 0.48 ± 0.11 μmol/l, p < 0.05, urease levels at 0.713 ± 0.015 μkat/l, p < 0.01), and heightened inflammation (elastase activity up to 2.71 ± 0.12 μkat/l, p < 0.01).Conclusion. The diminished innate immune function in saliva necessitates the development of strategies to enhance it, serving as a preventive measure against gingivitis in patients with CPP.