Background:
Cigarette smoke free radicals can cause cellular damage and different diseases.
All the body fluids have antioxidants which protect against free radicals.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to evaluate salivary total antioxidant capacity and peroxidase, uric
acid and malondialdehyde levels in smokers and a nonsmoking control group.
Methods:
Unstimulated saliva was collected from 510 males. A total of 259 subjects were current smokers
and 251 were non-smokers. The levels of salivary total antioxidant capacity, uric acid, peroxidase and
malondialdehyde were measured using standard procedures. Data were analyzed with t test and ANOVA.
Results:
The smokers were younger and dental hygiene index was higher than healthy nonsmoking
controls. The mean total antioxidant capacity in smokers and nonsmokers was 0.13±0.07 and 0.21±011,
respectively (P=0.001). Smokers had significantly lower peroxidase and uric acid levels than healthy
controls. In addition, the mean malondialdehyde levels in the smokers and nonsmokers were 4.55 ±2.61
and 2.79 ±2.21, respectively (P=0.001).
Conclusion:
Cigarette smoke produces free radical and oxidative stress, causing many side effects.
Salivary antioxidant levels decreased and malondialdehyde levels increased in smokers, indicating the high
oxidative stress among smokers compared to nonsmokers. Cigarette smoke had deleterious effects on main
salivary antioxidants levels.
Detection of Glutathione in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells With a Fluorescent Probe During the Course of Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis