Altered Salivary Redox Homeostasis in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Our objective was to determine whether SSc is associated with altered redox homeostasis in human saliva. METHODS: Study participants were 70 women with SSc and 120 female controls. 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 8-epi-prostaglandin F 2alpha (8-epi-PGF2alpha), and total protein carbonyls were assayed by ELISA to quantify oxidative damage to nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins, respectively, in whole nonstimulated saliva. RESULTS: We observed a significantly positive association between salivary log protein carbonyls and SSc in a crude statistic (OR 9.06, p < 0.0001), and multivariable model adjusted for log 8-OHdG, log 8-epi-PGF2alpha, and antioxidant exposure (OR 9.26, p < 0.0001). No significant association was noted between SSc and salivary log 8-epi-PGF2alpha or log 8-OHdG. CONCLUSION: Salivary redox homeostasis is perturbed in patients with SSc and may inform on the pathophysiology and presence of the disease (biomarkers) and efficacy of therapeutic interventions.