Analysis of Salivary Lysozyme Levels for the Early Detection of Early Childhood Caries

Early Childhood Caries (ECC), one of most common chronic diseases affecting preschool children worldwide, affects 10.4% children in Indonesia. Saliva, which comprises lysozymes, protects the tooth structure, plays a role in the development of ECC, and could be a biomarker for ECC. This study aimed to analyze salivary lysozyme levels in caries-free children and children with ECC and to determine its use as an indicator for early detection of ECC. This cross-sectional study comprised 14 children with ECC and 14 caries-free children (aged 3– 6 years). Unstimulated saliva (2 mL) was collected, and lysozyme levels were measured using ELISA. Mann–Whitney U test was used to evaluate statistical differences in salivary lysozyme levels between the ECC and caries-free groups. Spearman's correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between salivary lysozyme levels and dmft index. The mean salivary lysozyme level in the ECC group (0.15 μg/mL) was significantly higher (p=0.04) than that in the caries-free group (0.05 μg/mL). A significant moderately positive correlation (r=0.50; p=0.01) between dmft index and salivary lysozyme level was observed. Salivary lysozyme levels in the ECC group were higher than those in the caries-free group.