Association of cigarette smoking with superoxide dismutase enzyme levels in subjects with chronic periodontitis.

Background: Smoking, which is an important risk factor for periodontitis, induces oxidative stress in the body and causes an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD). In the present study, the influence of smoking on the periodontium was determined by estimating the levels of SOD in light and heavy smokers with periodontitis.

Methods: Seventy subjects in the age range of 20 to 55 years, including 60 smokers and 10 non-smokers (controls), were selected.