Assessment of Lactoferrin Levels For The Detection of Early Childhood Caries

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is one of the most common diseases that occur in children throughout the world. Salivary proteins such as lactoferrin (LF) can play an important role in the etiology and prevalence of oral diseases and in the development of dental caries. LF has demonstrated a strong action against Streptococcus mutans. The aim of this study was to analyze the level of LF as a caries prediction test that can be used as a biomarker in children with ECC. Unstimulated saliva was collected from 28 children (14 caries-free and 14 with ECC; age range, 3–6 years) using a disposable plastic pipette and inserted into a tube separator sample. The saliva samples (minimum, 2 ml) were taken from under the tongues of the children. The levels of LF in the saliva were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Significant differences in LF levels between the children with ECC and the caries-free children were ascertained using the Mann Whitney U test. The LF levels were significantly higher in the children with ECC compared to those without caries (p = 0.006). This study shows that lactoferrin can be used as a biomarker to detect ECC.