Abstract
BackgroundRecurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is an ulcerative disease of the oral mucosa without a clearly defined etiology. The aim of the study was to evaluate the serum zinc levels in patients with RAS in comparison to healthy controls and to validate the association between zinc levels and the course of RAS.MethodsSeventy-five patients with RAS and 72 controls underwent full dental examination. Serum zinc levels were determined by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (F AAS). The results were statistically analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, chi-square tests and the test of difference between the two rates of structure with p < 0.05 as a significance level (Statistica 10, StatSoft®).ResultsNo statistically significant differences were detected in serum zinc levels between RAS patients and healthy controls. The mean serum zinc concentration was found to be 84.2 μg/dL in RAS group and 83.9 μd/dL in controls, within the accepted norms. Zinc deficiency was observed in 10.7% patients from the RAS group and in 6.9% controls. No significant differences in serum zinc levels were found between patients when the course of the disease was considered.ConclusionsSerum zinc concentrations did not differ significantly in RAS patients and in healthy controls and it did not influence the course of the disease. Therefore, zinc does not appear to be an important modifying factor in the development of RAS.
Highlights
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is an ulcerative disease of the oral mucosa without a clearly defined etiology
The zinc concentration was measured by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (F Flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS); Jena AG; ZEEnit700E) using an analytical method described by Arora et al [12], Khademi and Shaikhiany [19], Orbak et al [23] and Özler [24]
Low serum zinc concentrations defined as Zn level between 70 and 80 μd/dl was found in 18 (26.7%) of RAS patients and in 20 (25.0%) of the control group which was statistically insignificant difference (p = 0.8246)
Summary
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is an ulcerative disease of the oral mucosa without a clearly defined etiology. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a chronic, ulcerative condition of the oral mucosa without a fully recognized etiology [1, 2]. The number of eruptions per one flare-up in this type does not normally exceed 10, while the healing lasts for 10 to 14 days. This form affects from 75 to 90% of all patients with RAS. The least common type is herpetiform RAS, where the crucial finding is the presence of multiple, small, short-lasting erosions that spread throughout the oral cavity, healing within 14 days without leaving a scar [1, 2]. The presence of recurrent oral aphthae accompanied by genital ulcers and uveitis is a characteristic of a systemic condition called Behçet’s disease, which may involve some other visceral organs [7, 8]
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