Identificação na saliva de biomarcadores de suscetibilidade á cárie dentária

Abstract

Dental carie is a chronic disease of multifactorial etiology caused by a complex interaction between the biofilm produced acids, fermentable carbohydrates from the diet and several host factors including the saliva composition. Due to the worldwide high prevalence of the disease and a large scientific base that supports the existence of individual susceptibility factors for its development, it urges the need to develop early susceptibility assessment methods in a way that preventive measures can be taken urges. Therefore, this study aimes at verifying the relationship between the presence of certain salivary proteins and the presence of dental caries in the analyzed individuals with the identification of potential biomarkers of susceptibility to disease. The listing of patients with salivary proteins in dental caries allowed to add 28 proteins to OralCard database (including 4 microbial and 24 human proteins). Functional characterization of caries OralOme allowed the identification of statistically significant changes (p≤0,05) in certain biological processes and molecular functions of salivary proteins involved in tooth decay, particularly with regard to saliva antioxidant activity by specific action of salivary peroxidase system. The inter-atomic analysis has highlighted 4 proteins (Transcobalamin-1, Peptidylprolyl cis-transisomeraseB, Small proline-rich protein 3 histone 4) with high levels of interaction with the total OralOme and potential influence in dental caries development and progress. A lack of experimental studies directed to the microbial proteome of dental caries was noted; however the identification of virulence factors may be a step to the analysis of individual susceptibility to disease development. The analysis of the oral proteome allowed the understanding of some molecular mechanisms involved in dental caries process, enabling the establishment of potential biomarkers for disease susceptibility, to be evaluated in future experimental studies.

Date of Award	2015
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nuno Rosa (Supervisor)