S100A8 and S100A9 in saliva, blood and gingival crevicular fluid for screening established periodontitis: a cross-sectional study

Insights into the Relationship between Periodontitis and Systemic Sclerosis Based on the New Periodontitis Classification (2018): A Cross-Sectional Study

(1) Background: This study aimed to assess the periodontitis burden in systemic sclerosis patients and the possible association between them, and the degree to which some potential risk factors and two potential diagnostic biomarkers may account for this association. (2) Methods: This cross-sectional study included a test group (systemic sclerosis patients) and a control group (non-systemic sclerosis patients). Both groups benefited from medical, periodontal examination and saliva sampling to determine the salivary flow rate and two inflammatory biomarkers (calprotectin, psoriasin). A systemic sclerosis severity scale was established. (3) Results: In the studied groups, comparable periodontitis rates of 88.68% and 85.85%, respectively, were identified. There were no significant differences in the severity of periodontitis among different systemic sclerosis severity, or in the positivity for anti-centromere and anti-SCL70 antibodies. Musculoskeletal lesions were significantly more common in stage III/IV periodontitis (n = 33, 86.84%) than in those in stage I/II (n = 1, 100%, and n = 3, 37.5%, respectively) (p = 0.007). Comparable levels of the inflammatory mediators were displayed by the two groups. There were no significant differences in calprotectin and psoriasin levels between diffuse and limited forms of systemic sclerosis. (4) Conclusions: Within the limitations of the current study, no associations between systemic sclerosis and periodontitis, or between their risk factors, could be proven.

Advances in Electrochemical Biosensors for the Detection of Common Oral Diseases

Limiting and preventing oral diseases remains a major challenge to the health of populations around the world, so finding ways to detect early-stage diseases (e.g., caries, periodontal disease, and oral cancer) and aiding in their prevention has always been an important clinical treatment concept. The development and application of electrochemical detection technology can provide important support for the early detection and non-invasive diagnosis of oral diseases and make up for the shortcomings of traditional diagnostic methods, which are highly sensitive, non-invasive, cost-effective, and less labor-intensive. It detects specific disease markers in body fluids through electrochemical reactions, discovers early warning signals of diseases, and realizes rapid and reliable diagnosis. This paper comprehensively summarizes the development and application of electrochemical biosensors in the detection and diagnosis of common oral diseases in terms of application platforms, sensing types, and disease detection, and discusses the challenges faced by electrochemical biosensors in the detection of oral diseases as well as the great prospects for future applications, in the hope of providing important insights for the future development of electrochemical biosensors for the early detection of oral diseases.

Salivary Biomarkers in Periodontitis: A Scoping Review

Periodontal disease is a prevalent and potentially impactful oral health condition, ranging from gingivitis to severe periodontitis. Early detection and precise management are crucial in modern dentistry due to its prevalence and potential systemic health implications. Traditional clinical assessments and radiographic imaging have been the primary diagnostic tools. However, recent advances in oral diagnostics have introduced the concept of non-invasive, easily accessible salivary biomarkers. This review explores the evolving landscape of salivary biomarkers associated with periodontal disease, offering a comprehensive analysis of recent studies. It delves into the key findings, clinical significance, and potential impact of these biomarkers in revolutionizing periodontal disease diagnostics and treatment monitoring. The study emphasizes their diagnostic and prognostic capabilities, including their ability to assess disease severity, correlate with clinical parameters, aid in early detection, and enhance personalized treatment planning. As the field of oral diagnostics continues to advance, understanding the role of salivary biomarkers in periodontal disease management holds the promise of improving precision and effectiveness in oral healthcare. This review underscores the potential for salivary biomarkers to become integral components of routine periodontal care, offering a minimally invasive and patient-centered approach to oral health management.

Detection of synovial fluid LTF and S100A8 by chemiluminescence immunoassay for the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Synovial fluid lactoferrin (LTF) and S100 calcium-binding protein A8 (S100A8) have been considered as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) through our previous research. However, the detection methods of these two proteins are still immature, so a rapid, accurate and cost-effective testing method is warranted.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We developed chemiluminescent immunoassays (CLIA) for the automated detection of synovial fluid LTF and S100A8 and assessed the analytical performance for these two methods. In addition, we recruited 86 patients who were suspected of PJI after total joint replacement (TJA) and examined their synovial fluid using CLIA to explore the clinical application value of these methods and the diagnostic efficiency of synovial fluid LTF and S100A8 for PJI.

RESULTS

Our established CLIA methods have a wide linear range of 20-10000 ng/mL for LTF detection system and 5-5000 ng/mL for S100A8 detection system. Performance parameters such as precision, specificity, and recovery rate can meet the industry standards. Then, the established methods were used to detect LTF and S100A8 in synovial fluid samples, which showed excellent diagnostic efficiency for PJI, and the areas under ROC curve (AUC) were 0.954 (95% CI: 0.909-0.999) and 0.958 (95% CI: 0.918-0.997), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our established CLIA methods have the advantages of automation, high throughput, low price, and is expected to be widely popularized in clinical applications. Synovial fluid LTF and S100A8 detected through CLIA had efficient diagnostic potentiality for predicting and diagnosing PJI.

Antimicrobial peptides: Defending the mucosal epithelial barrier

The recent epidemic caused by aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 virus illustrates the importance and vulnerability of the mucosal epithelial barrier against infection. Antimicrobial proteins and peptides (AMPs) are key to the epithelial barrier, providing immunity against microbes. In primitive life forms, AMPs protect the integument and the gut against pathogenic microbes. AMPs have also evolved in humans and other mammals to enhance newer, complex innate and adaptive immunity to favor the persistence of commensals over pathogenic microbes. The canonical AMPs are helictical peptides that form lethal pores in microbial membranes. In higher life forms, this type of AMP is exemplified by the defensin family of AMPs. In epithelial tissues, defensins, and calprotectin (complex of S100A8 and S100A9) have evolved to work cooperatively. The mechanisms of action differ. Unlike defensins, calprotectin sequesters essential trace metals from microbes, which inhibits growth. This review focuses on defensins and calprotectin as AMPs that appear to work cooperatively to fortify the epithelial barrier against infection. The antimicrobial spectrum is broad with overlap between the two AMPs. In mice, experimental models highlight the contribution of both AMPs to candidiasis as a fungal infection and periodontitis resulting from bacterial dysbiosis. These AMPs appear to contribute to innate immunity in humans, protecting the commensal microflora and restricting the emergence of pathobionts and pathogens. A striking example in human innate immunity is that elevated serum calprotectin protects against neonatal sepsis. Calprotectin is also remarkable because of functional differences when localized in epithelial and neutrophil cytoplasm or released into the extracellular environment. In the cytoplasm, calprotectin appears to protect against invasive pathogens. Extracellularly, calprotectin can engage pathogen-recognition receptors to activate innate immune and proinflammatory mechanisms. In inflamed epithelial and other tissue spaces, calprotectin, DNA, and histones are released from degranulated neutrophils to form insoluble antimicrobial barriers termed neutrophil extracellular traps. Hence, calprotectin and other AMPs use several strategies to provide microbial control and stimulate innate immunity.

The New Era of Salivaomics in Dentistry: Frontiers and Facts in the Early Diagnosis and Prevention of Oral Diseases and Cancer

Nowadays, with the development of new and highly sensitive, blood is not the only medium of choice for the diagnosis of several diseases and pathological conditions. Saliva is now considered a safe and non-invasive sample to study oral and systemic diseases, showing great diagnostic potential. According to several recent studies, saliva has emerged as an emerging biofluid for the early diagnosis of several diseases, indicated as a mirror of oral and systemic health and a valuable source of clinically relevant information. Indeed, several studies have observed that saliva is useful for detecting and diagnosing malignant tumours, human immunodeficiency virus, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases. The growing realisation that saliva is an inexhaustible source of information has led to the coining of the term ‘Salivaomics’, which includes five “omics” in connection with the main constituents of saliva: genome and epigenome, transcriptomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, proteomics and microbiota. All those may be changed by disease state, so they offer significant advantages in the early diagnosis and prognosis of oral diseases. The aim of the present review isto update and highlight the new frontiers of salivaomics in diagnosing and managing oral disorders, such as periodontitis, premalignant disorders, and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

S100A8 in Serum, Urine, and Saliva as a Potential Biomarker for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objectives

This study aimed to elucidate the potential of serum, urine, and saliva S100 calcium-binding protein A8 protein (S100A8) levels as biomarkers for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

Serum, urine, and saliva samples were obtained from 249 patients with SLE from the Ajou lupus cohort and 52 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). The concentrations of S100A8 were quantified using an ELISA, and a receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze whether they may be used as biomarkers for diagnosing SLE.

Results

Among 249 SLE patients included in our study, the mean SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI)-2K was 7.16 ± 5.61, and the number of patients with lupus flare was 11. Patients with SLE showed a 2.7-fold increase in serum S100A8 levels compared with that in HCs (1,890.6 vs. 709 pg/ml, p < 0.001). In urine and saliva, the average S100A8 levels were significantly higher in patients with SLE compared with those in HCs (urine, 2,029.4 vs. 1,096.7 pg/ml, p = 0.001; saliva, 290,496.3 vs. 47,742 pg/ml, p < 0.001). For SLE diagnosis, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.831 for serum S100A8 (95% CI, 0.765–0.897), 0.751 for urine S100A8 (95% CI, 0.648–0.854), and 0.729 for salivary S100A8 (95% CI, 0.646–0.812). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that S100A8 in serum, urine, and saliva was significantly associated with the SLEDAI (r = 0.267, p < 0.001; r = 0.274, p < 0.001; and r = 0.629, p < 0.001, respectively). Among the clinical manifestations, nephritis was the most influential factor related to SLE in the concentration of S100A8 in serum, urine, and saliva.

Conclusion

This is the first study to show that the expression of S100A8 in serum, urine, and saliva is significantly higher in patients with SLE than in HCs and is associated with disease activity markers. Therefore, we suggest that S100A8 protein could be a potential biomarker for SLE.