Oxidative Stress Status in the Saliva of Growing Subjects as a Potential Pubertal Biomarker

The aim of this study is to evaluate the oxidative stress in saliva during physical growth. A cohort of 30 volunteers (16 females and 14 males), 6–30 years of age, was enrolled in this study. The subjects Were randomly recruited from patients who were referred to the Dental Clinic of the University of L'Aquila for a regular checkup. Each subject's maturity level was assessed according to the Tanner scale and their saliva samples were collected by “spitting method”. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were assessed to evaluate lipid peroxidation - one of the major compounds of oxidative stress - and antioxidant power of saliva. The results show TBARS values increased from pre/early to mid-pubertal status, peaked at mid-pubertal status, and then decreased steadily thereafter. Meanwhile, no characteristic trends in the FRAP data in relation to Tanner stage were observed. Our findings suggest that the peak of peroxidation was found to coincide with the period of mid-puberty (pubertal peak – period with strongest growth). In conclusion, the present data provide a easy, non-invasive method for monitoring development staged in subjects receiving orthodontic therapy