Salivary antioxidants in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Background: In spite of relatively large amount of evidence that oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis, there is no study analyzing antioxidants profile of the saliva of these patients. The aim of this study was to compare salivary antioxidants in subjects with systemic sclerosis and the healthy controls.

Methods: The unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow and the specific activity of peroxidase, superoxide dismutase 1, the total amount of uric acid, and total antioxidant status were determined in two subgroups of systemic sclerosis women and healthy controls.

Results: A significant increase in the specific activity of peroxidase, a significant decrease in the total amount of uric acid and total antioxidants status in unstimulated saliva as well as a significant increase in all antioxidants examined in stimulated saliva of group with normal salivary flow rate as compared to the healthy controls were observed. Our results showed a significant decrease in the specific activity of peroxidase in unstimulated and a significant decrease in all antioxidants examined in stimulated saliva of the group with hyposalivation as compared to the group with normal salivary flow rate.

Conclusions: Our results prove that impairment of the salivary glands in the course of systemic sclerosis may be attributed to free radicals, and it is correlated with disease duration.