OXYGEN AND NITROGEN REACTIVE SPECIES IMPLICATIONS IN THE ETIOPATHOGENESIS OF THE PERIODONTAL DISEASE

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in physiological and pathological processes either as trigger agents or, more frequent, accompanying and/or aggravating the primary lesions. The authors observed the changes of some oxidative stress markers (lipoperoxides, free malondiladehyde) and of some antioxidant markers (ceruloplasmin and hydrogen-donors capacity) in mixed unstimulated saliva of patients with periodontal disease. The results had been compared with those of a witness group consisting in persons with no oral lesions or other diseases that can induce oxidative stress. Through the analysis of the results was observed a significant increase of the lipids peroxidation in parallel with a decrease of the antioxidant defense systems. The authors demonstrated, also, an NO increase in mixed saliva of patients with periodontitis, an observation that pleads for the implication of the nitro-oxidative stress in the inflammatory and degenerative lesions of the periodontal tissue.