Salivary LL‐37 and periodontal health in children exposed to passive smoking

Background Antimicrobial peptides play an important role in the local defence of oral cavity. Cigarette smoke has detrimental effects on immune defence mechanisms. The effect of passive smoking on salivary LL‐37, as an antimicrobial peptide, in children has not yet been reported. Aim The aims of this study were to evaluate salivary LL‐37 levels in PS‐exposed and PS‐unexposed children and to investigate the association between salivary LL‐37 levels and periodontal clinical parameters. Design Unstimulated salivary samples were collected from 180 children (90 PS‐exposed [38 girls and 52 boys; mean age: 9.36 ± 1.60 years] and 90 PS‐unexposed [43 girls and 47 boys; mean age: 9.02 ± 1.71 years]) in this study. Periodontal clinical parameters, including plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL), were recorded in all children. Salivary cotinine and LL‐37 levels were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results PI and GI values in PS‐exposed children were significantly higher than those in PS‐unexposed children. The mean salivary cotinine concentration was significantly higher in PS‐exposed children than in control subjects. The mean salivary LL‐37 concentration of PS‐exposed children was significantly lower (100.71 ± 72.14 pg/mL) than that of PS‐unexposed children (151.84 ± 107.89 pg/mL). Conclusion Passive smoking could suppress salivary LL‐37 concentrations in children.