[Activity of salivary glutathione-dependent enzymes in patients with periodontitis]

Forty-five patients aged 20-47 years who had mild, moderate, or severe periodontitis and 32 healthy individuals (a control group) were studied during 10-15-day treatment with traditional therapy and combined therapy including the traditional approach and the antihomotoxic agent Traumeel S ointment as a supplement. Increased free radical generation and lipid peroxidation were considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. Salivary indices are a reflection of a patient's metabolic state and have clinical diagnostic values in patients with oral tissue inflammation. The activities of antioxidative enzymes (glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) and the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) were determined in the saliva of patients with periodontitis during traditional and complex (traditional + Traumeel S) therapies. Inflammation led to metabolic disturbances and antioxidative defense system imbalance in patients with periodontitis. The findings suggest that the complex therapy with Traumeel S restored antioxidative defense balance and it was more effective than the traditional therapy in patients with periodontitis. An analysis showed a direct correlation between the activity of antioxidative enzymes and clinical characteristics of the disease. These results reflect the activity of a pathological process and the imbalance of antioxidative defense in patients with periodontitis.