Objectives:
Opiorphin is an enkephalinase inhibitor which suppresses pain by acting on the opioid system. The levels of opiorphin in plasma and saliva have shown to vary in patients with burning mouth syndrome. This descriptive study was designed to estimate the salivary levels of opiorphin among individuals with painful oral soft-tissue conditions.
Materials and Methods:
Unstimulated whole saliva was collected from 60 individuals (20 controls, 20 traumatic and inflammatory conditions, and 20 patients with oral potentially malignant disorders [OPMDs] and oral cancer). The salivary levels of opiorphin were assessed through competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results:
The mean level of opiorphin among controls was 7.108 ± 2.535 ng/ml, among individuals with traumatic and inflammatory conditions was 9.409 ± 2.369 ng/ml, and in individuals with OPMDs and oral cancer was 8.268 ± 2.414 ng/ml. A positive correlation was observed between salivary opiorphin levels and age of the patient (r = 0.028).
Conclusion:
The varying levels of opiorphin in painful oral mucosal conditions and with age indicate its role in local pain modulating mechanisms.
Pain management is an all-time challenge in dentistry. Discontent to pain management is a concern among patients and professionals. Unrelieved pain affects physical and mental well-being contributing to delayed recovery, psychological distress and anxiety. Studies have revealed that chronic pain interferes with normal daily chores of the individual like exercise, sleep, social life and lifestyle. At one end of pain management spectrum are Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) while at the other end are the opioids. These drugs are not without constituent side effects. The quest is for new analgesics with potent and long term analgesia with minimal or no side effects. An analgesic that is intermediate in this spectrum is the need of the hour. Opiorphin is an endogenous peptide isolated from human saliva. Opiorphin produces analgesia, by inhibiting enkephalin (ENK) metabolizing enzymes, thus increasing the half-life of circulating ENKs. Apart from being a potent analgesic it can also be a potential biomarker for various systemic and psychosocial disorders. This review focuses on the pharmacological effects of opiorphin and its potential role as a biomarker in various disease conditions.
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