ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Chronic gingivitis and periodontitis are inflammatory diseases. An important function of host sialic acid is to regulate innate immunity. The aim of the study was to assess the concentration of Total sialic acid (TSA) in saliva and serum and also to find out their association if any, in periodontal health and disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 90 subjects were clinically examined and distributed into three groups (n=30) according to the periodontal status namely healthy, chronic gingivitis and chronic periodontitis.Clinical measurements including probing depth, clinical attachment level, gingival index, oral hygeine index were recorded .TSA concentration was determined in saliva and serum of all subjects. RESULTS: In healthy group the mean salivary TSA level was 39.05mg/dl ±6.35(p<0.0001), mean serum TSA level was 49.75 mg/dl ± 4.87 (p<0.0001). In the chronic gingivitis group the mean salivary TSA level was 68.23 mg/dl ± 2.71 (p<0.0001), mean serum TSA level was 65.65 mg/dl ±3.56 (p<0.0001). In the chronic periodontitis group the mean salivary TSA was 81.33 mg/dl ±3.94 (p<0.0001), mean serum TSA level was 75.98 mg/dl ±3.58 (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The present data indicates that salivary & serum TSA levels can differentiate between chronic periodontitis patients and normal individuals. Thus it can be used as an adjunct to diagnose, monitor response to therapy, to determine the current periodontal disease status and to assess the treatment outcomes.
ABSTRACT
Fluoride concentrations in groundwater near Nagar Parkar in the Thar Desert of southeastern Pakistan range from 1.13 to 7.85 mg/l, and roughly 78% of the samples contain fluoride in concentrations that exceed the drinking water standard of 1.5mg/l set by WHO. The groundwater is alkaline (pH 7.1-8.4), brackish (TDS 449-15,933 mg/l), and classified as Na-Cl type water. This prevailing chemical character reflects the influence of saltwater intrusion, high evaporation rates, and ion exchange. Groundwater is also supersaturated with respect to calcite, which promotes the removal of Ca(2+) and HCO(3)(-) from solution. As a result, groundwater is generally undersaturated with respect to fluorite, the mineral that typically controls the upper limit of fluoride concentrations. This study examines a number of geochemical parameters in an effort to discover the controls on fluoride concentrations in groundwater. High fluoride concentrations are associated with high TDS, high pH, high Na concentrations, and high sodium absorption ratios (SAR). This suggests that elevated fluoride levels are the result of enhanced fluorite solubility due to Ca depletion and high ionic strength and the release of fluoride from colloid surfaces under high pH conditions. Contrary to what has been found in other studies, sample depth and water temperature do not appear to have a significant role in the distribution of fluoride within the groundwater.
