Correlating Salivary Levels of Immunoglobin E and Human Eosinophil Cationic Protein in the Aseer Cohort with Recurrent Apthous Stomatitis

Int J Gen Med. 2023 Jul 10:16:2923-2931. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S410061. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Background: Repeated Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS) is the most prevalent inflammatory disorder of the oral mucosa, characterized by recurrent emergence of single or numerous painful ulcers. RAS usually affects healthy people without systemic illnesses. There is evidence linking atopy to the progression of this illness. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) and human eosinophil cationic protein (HECP) levels in the saliva of individuals with aphthous stomatitis were assessed as allergy-related indicators.

Materials and methods: Sixty people were assessed for this study. 30 patients with RAS were included in the patient group, while 30 healthy individuals made up for the control group. Sixty participants' non-stimulated saliva was taken and IgE and HECP were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data were analyzed in SPSS 20 through the Mann-Whitney test and p<0.05 was considered significant.

Results: The salivary level of HECP was significantly (p 0.05) higher among cases (0.83 0.70) compared to controls (0.170 0.15), whereas the salivary level of IgE was not significantly (p = 0.41) higher among cases (35.60 11.19) compared to controls (67.42 18.34).

Conclusion: Even though this study found a positive correlation between elevated HECP levels and RAS, additional research with larger sample sizes is required to identify the biological mechanisms responsible for the observed associations and to include salivary HECP levels in the RAS patient's evaluation.

Keywords: human eosinophil cationic protein; immunoglobulin E; recurrent aphthous stomatitis; saliva.

Grants and funding

This study was not supported by any external funding.