Comparative proteomics of saliva of healthy and gingivitis individuals from Rio de Janeiro

In this work, we identified human and bacterial proteomes in the saliva from volunteers with gingivitis or healthy.

The reported population consisted of 18 volunteers (six with gingivitis and 12 healthy controls). Proteomics characterization was performed using a quantitative mass spectrometry method.

A total of 74 human and 116 bacterial proteins were identified in saliva. The major functional category that was modified in the human proteome was the immune response, followed by transport and protease inhibition. In the bacterial proteome, most of the proteins identified were from the Fusobacteria phylum, followed by Chlamydiae and Spirochaetes.

We observed statistically relevant differences in the data between the groups. The 15 most important human proteins affecting the variation between case and control groups included cystatin S, alpha amylase, lactotransferrin, and negative elongation factor E. We found that bacterial proteins from Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. nucleatum related to the red and orange complexes were closely correlated with the occurrence of periodontal diseases.