Differential expression of salivary glycoproteins in aggressive and chronic periodontitis

objectives:the aim of this study was to compare the pattern of secretion and the expression of mucin glycoprotein-2 (mg2) and lactoferrin in individuals with or without periodontitis. material and methods: five individuals with aggressive periodontitis (apg), 5 with generalized chronic periodontitis (cpg) and 5 without periodontitis (cg) were enrolled after informed consent. non-stimulated and stimulated submandibular and sublingual saliva was collected and samples analyzed by western blot probed with specific antibodies. results: stimulated and non-stimulated salivary flow rates did not differ among groups. western blot analysis revealed that stimulation led to: an increase in mg2 expression in all groups, and to lactoferrin expression in apg and cpg. in non-stimulated saliva, cg exhibited the highest expression of both glycoproteins. in stimulated saliva, cg exhibited the highest expression of mg2, whereas apg the highest of lactoferrin. conclusions: the pattern of secretion of mg2 and lactoferrin in health and disease is complex. although the present study analyzed samples from a limited number of participants, the reduced expression of mg2 and lactoferrin in apg and cpg under non-stimulated condition, the predominant circumstance of salivary secretion during the day, suggests that these salivary constituents may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of these diseases.