Dental caries is a multifactorial disease mainly caused by cariogenic bacteria commonly found in the oral cavity.
Dental caries may cause demineralization of the tooth, cavitation,
hypersensitivity, pulp
inflammation, and even
tooth loss if left untreated. Saliva secreted in the oral cavity can serve as a tool for identification of
biomarkers for early detection of diseases. In the present study, differential expression of
salivary proteins from 33
dental caries patients was compared with 10 control subjects. The unstimulated saliva was analyzed by 12% SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.
Gelatin and
casein zymography was performed to check for
protease activity. Also, salivary IgAs from both groups were compared by sandwich ELISA technique.
Dental caries patient's saliva showed decreased caseinolytic and increased gelatinolytic activity probably due to
metalloproteases and
cathepsins. Mean salivary levels of
sIgA were also significantly higher (p < 0.018) in
dental caries saliva samples. The 2D electrophoresis profile of both the groups showed regions on gel with visually detectable alterations in
protein expression. The present study is among the few initial studies in the locality for identification of
protein differences in saliva from
dental caries patients and has demonstrated a good potential to identify alterations. However, a large population-based analysis is required to validate these findings to be translated as a tool for indicative applications.