Evaluation of Antimicrobial Peptides in Saliva as Potential Therapeutic Agents Against Oral Pathogens in Pakistan
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Date
2024-11-15
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Abstract
Background: Maintaining optimal oral health is essential for overall well-being; however, conditions such as
dental caries and gingivitis remain prevalent in Pakistan and are further worsened by increasing antibiotic
resistance.
Objective: To evaluate the antimicrobial properties of salivary peptides as potential therapeutic agents
against common oral pathogens in Pakistan.
Methodology: A one-year cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, at Sharif Medical and
Dental College and Akhter Saeed Medical and Dental College, involving 384 participants aged 18-65
years. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to isolate antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)
from oral swabs and saliva samples. Using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent test (ELISA), the minimum
inhibitory concentration (MIC) of histatin, defensin, and cathelicidin against Streptococcus mutans and
Candida albicans was determined. T-tests and other statistical analyses were used to assess the significance
of the results across demographic variables.
Results: There were 210 men (54.69%) and 174 women (45.31%) in the participation group. A total of 298
individuals (77.60%) did not smoke, while 221 participants (57.56%) said they brushed their teeth every day.
Moreover, 198 individuals (51.56%) had oral infections with S. mutans alone, 71 participants (18.49%) had
oral pathogens with C. albicans alone, and 52 people (13.54%) had both. Histatin of 8.09 ± 2.13 μg/mL,
defensin of 7.83 ± 2.31 μg/mL, and cathelicidin of 6.19 ± 1.57 μg/mL were the MIC values for salivary AMPs
against S. mutans. MIC values for histatin, defensin, and cathelicidin against C. albicans were 10.57 ± 1.82
μg/mL, 9.01 ± 2.03 μg/mL, and 7.42 ± 1.73 μg/mL, respectively. Males had higher MIC values than females,
and there were significant variations according to smoking status (p < 0.05) and age (p < 0.05), suggesting
that smokers had lower AMP effectiveness.
Conclusion: Salivary AMPs, particularly histatin, defensin, and cathelicidin, demonstrate strong potential as
therapeutic alternatives against oral infections such as dental caries and gingivitis, suggesting a promising
strategy to mitigate antibiotic resistance in Pakistan. Further research is needed to explore their application
in clinical practice.