Levels of human defensin-1, an antimicrobial peptide, in saliva of patients with oral inflammation

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of an antimicrobial peptide, human defensin-1, in the saliva of patients with oral inflammation. Study design. Whole saliva samples were collected from patients with oral inflammation and from healthy volunteers. Human defensin-1 in saliva was isolated and purified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The amino acid sequence and molecular weight of defensin-1 were determined. The concentration of defensin-1 in saliva was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Serum C-reactive protein concentration was measured by particle-enhanced turbidi-metric immunoassay. Results. The salivary defensin-1 concentration was significantly higher in patients with oral inflammation than in healthy volunteers; furthermore, in patients with oral inflammation, the concentration was significantly higher before treatment than after treatment. In the patients with oral inflammation, there was a strong positive correlation between salivary defensin-1 concentration and serum C-reactive protein concentration. Conclusions. The findings suggest that defensin-1 in saliva may be a convenient marker of inflammation associated with oral disease.