ASSOCIATION OF DENTAL CARIES & S-IGA IN SMOKERS AND NON-SMOKERS

Introduction - Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that results in demineralization of dental hard tissues like enamel. The risk of dental caries is controlled by various factors like presence of carbohydrate in diet, maintenance of oral hygiene and many more. Amongst this saliva contribute an important parameter due to its complex composition, presence of Secretory Immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) which acts as an antibacterial substance. Our study focuses on the levels of salivary S-IgA in smokers and Non-smokers within the region of Nagpur and Lucknow and determines its association with dental caries. Also, a comparative study is conducted to analyze the S-IgA levels in smokers and non-smokers between the Nagpur and Lucknow population. Methods - A total of 240 healthy subjects were selected and divided into 2 groups (120 subjects each from Lucknow and Nagpur) and each group from these cities was divided into 4 subgroups, based on smoking and dental caries. Informed consent was taken, and 5 ml saliva was collected. Salivary S-IgA was measured using ELISA Kit. Caries status was determined according to the DMFT Index. Results were analyzed using SPSS software Version 24.0 (IBM Corporation, Chicago, USA). Results – Smokers in Nagpur and Lucknow showed higher number of caries with lowest concentration of S-IgA.as compared to non-smoking and caries-free subjects (123.2 ± 19.9 vs. 13.3 ± 4.1 μg/ml respectively, p < 0.001). The comparative study in Nagpur and Lucknow subjects was found to be insignificant. Conclusion – Our findings suggest that levels of salivary S-IgA are inversely proportional to prevalence of dental caries in smokers.