Salivary Trace Elements as Biochemical Markers of Recurrent Apthous Stomatitis

Objective: The human body is made up of a number of elements which are categorised into abundant and trace elements. Trace elements are also known as micronutrients. Although required in much smaller quantities in the body, they still play pivotal role in vital processes of the body. Trace elements include iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), iodine (I), manganese (Mn), and molybdenum (Mo), etc. The present study was conducted to determine whether trace elements, namely iron and copper, play a role in the pathogenesis of recurrent apthous stomatitis. Materials and Method: A total of 30 subjects formed the pilot study, including 15 patients with recurrent apthous stomatitis and 15 persons as healthy controls. Salivary levels of iron and copper were detected biochemically by semi-autoanalyser. Results: All parameters were statistically analysed. Significant correlation was found. The patients were found to have significantly lower levels of trace elements than in the healthy control group. The attempt was made to check the presence of these elements in the saliva and establish a correlation. Conclusion: Saliva, like blood, contains different substances that reflect physiological status. Salivary diagnostics offer an easy, inexpensive, safe, and non-invasive approach for disease detection, and possess a high potential to revolutionize the next generation of diagnostics. More studies with larger sample sizes on salivary trace elements are warranted to establish them as biochemical markers in the pathogenesis of RAS. Keywords: Recurrent apthous stomatitis, iron, copper, serum, saliva, biochemical markers