Abstract
Background Salivary constituents have a wide range of functions including oral calcium homeostasis. Salivary proteins such as statherin inhibit crystal growth of calcium phosphate in supersaturated solutions and interact with several oral bacteria to adsorb on hydroxyapatite. Concurrently, saliva, which is supersaturated with respect to calcium phosphates, is the driving force for plaque mineralization and formation of calculus. Thus, the aim of the present study was to estimate and correlate salivary statherin and calcium concentration to the dental calculus formation. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the relationship between salivary statherin, calcium, and dental calculus among 70 subjects, aged 20–55 years. Subjects were divided into 3 groups based on the calculus scores as interpreted by Calculus Index which was followed by collection of whole saliva using Super•SAL™. Salivary calcium levels were assessed by calorimetric method using Calcium Assay kit (Cayman Chemical, Michigan, USA) and statherin levels by using ELISA Kit (Cusabio Biotech). Results Statherin levels showed a weak negative correlation with the calcium levels and with calculus formation. The mean salivary statherin and calcium concentration were found to be 0.96 μg/ml and 3.87 mg/ml, respectively. Salivary statherin levels differed significantly among the three groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our preliminary data indicates that statherin could possibly play a role in the formation of dental calculus.
Highlights
Saliva is essential for lifelong maintenance of oral health
It is a multifunctional peptide that possesses a high affinity for calcium phosphate minerals, maintains the appropriate mineral solution dynamics of enamel, promotes selective initial bacterial colonization of enamel, and functions as a boundary lubricant on the enamel surface
Excess salivary calcium has been reported in patients with tendency to develop supra- or subgingival calculus [6] and supersaturation of saliva with respect to calcium phosphate salts is the driving force of calculus formation [8]
Summary
Saliva is essential for lifelong maintenance of oral health. Saliva is composed of a variety of electrolytes, immunoglobulins, proteins, and enzymes and plays some important functions in the maintenance of oral health such as lubrication of the oral mucosa, defence from infections, protection against demineralization [1].The four major salivary proteins, that is, statherin, the acidic PRPs, cystatins, and histatins, are primarily responsible for the maintenance of the homeostasis of the supersaturated state of saliva with respect to calcium phosphate salts. It is a multifunctional peptide that possesses a high affinity for calcium phosphate minerals, maintains the appropriate mineral solution dynamics of enamel, promotes selective initial bacterial colonization of enamel, and functions as a boundary lubricant on the enamel surface. Statherin inhibits both nucleation and growth of hydroxyapatite crystal and its concentration. Salivary constituents have a wide range of functions including oral calcium homeostasis Salivary proteins such as statherin inhibit crystal growth of calcium phosphate in supersaturated solutions and interact with several oral bacteria to adsorb on hydroxyapatite. Our preliminary data indicates that statherin could possibly play a role in the formation of dental calculus
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