Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Oral Cavity and Age: A Site of Chronic Inflammation?

2007; Public Library of Science; Volume: 2; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1371/journal.pone.0001351

1932-6203

Magnus Bäck, Hanna Hlawaty, Carlos Labat, Jean‐Baptiste Michel, Charles Brink,

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research

BackgroundAging may be accompanied by a low grade chronic up-regulation of inflammatory mediators. A variety of endogenous locally released mediators as well as inflammatory cells have been reported in the human oral cavity. The aim of this investigation was to determine the presence of different classes of inflammatory mediators in human saliva and correlate the levels with age.Methodology and Principal FindingsUnstimulated whole buccal salivary samples were obtained in the morning from 94 healthy volunteers within 30 minutes after waking. None of the participants had taken aspirin in the week prior to the saliva collection. Lysozyme activity, eicosanoid levels (prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4) and MMP-9 activity were measured. The antimicrobial activity (lysozyme activity) was not correlated with age whereas PGE2 levels were markedly correlated with age (r = 0.29; P 40 years) demonstrated a significant increase in the mean values for PGE2 and MMP-9 activity with age. In addition, significant correlations were observed between LTB4 and PGE2 (r = 0.28; P<0.05; n = 56) and between LTB4 levels and MMP-9 activity in smokers (r = 0.78; P<0.001; n = 15).Conclusions/SignificanceThe presence of significant levels and activity of inflammatory mediators in saliva suggests that the oral cavity of healthy subjects may be in a constant low state of inflammation associated with age.