Salivary alpha-I-antitrypsin in marginal and juvenile periodontitis

The aim of the present study was to find out the relation betweenalpha-1-antitrypsin and the most destructive periodontal diseases, marginaland juvenile periodontitis. The results of the present study showed thatthere is a slight, but not significant, reduction of study alpha-1-antitrypsin in marginal periodontitis patients, when compared with reduction in the samesubstance in juvenile periodontitis group, which showed a statisticallysignificant reduction. It may be concluded that alpha-1-antitrypsin enzymemay be consumed through the process of progressive destruction or formed acomplex with other substances in saliva [e.g. IgA], or it could be due to aninnate salivary reduction in this enzyme