Children with a Higher Activity of Carbonic Anhydrase VI in Saliva Are More Likely to Develop Dental Caries

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the concentration and activity of carbonic anhydrase (CA) VI in the saliva of school children. We investigated the relationship among caries, CA VI concentration/activity, flow rate, pH, and buffering capacity. Materials and Methods: Seventy-four school children were divided into a caries-free group and a caries group. Clinical examinations were conducted by one examiner according to World Health Organization criteria + early caries lesions. Salivary flow rate, pH, and buffering capacity were analyzed. Salivary CA VI concentration and activity were evaluated by ELISA and zymography, respectively. The data were analyzed using Student's t test and the Mann-Whitney test, and Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses were also done. In multivariate modeling, associations between variables were expressed as odds ratios. Results: The results showed that salivary flow rate, salivary pH, and BC were significantly higher in the saliva of caries-free children. Also, the salivary CA VI concentration was significantly higher in the saliva of caries-free children. The salivary CA VI activity was higher in children with caries. We found a negative correlation between BC and dental caries. Also, in the caries group we found a positive correlation between the concentration and the activity of CA VI and a negative correlation between BC and CA VI activity. A negative correlation between salivary pH and CA VI concentration was observed in the caries-free group. A high activity of CA and a low salivary flow rate were associated with dental caries. Conclusion: These results support the conclusion that dental caries is highly affected by the activity of CA VI in saliva as well as by the salivary flow rate.

Activity of Carbonic Anhydrase VI is Higher in Dental Biofilm of Children with Caries

“…These findings were confirmed in a recent longitudinal investigation carried out by Borghi et al [15]. In addition, our research group demonstrated a 4.88 times higher likelihood for caries development when saliva of this children exhibited a CA VI activity higher than 1.75 [19].…”

“…Therefore, it is proposed that CA VI in dental biofilm contributes to the neutralization of biofilm acid in the microenvironment of the tooth surface as a consequence of the buffering performed by salivary bicarbonate and, thus, may help to prevent dental caries [7,20]. Nevertheless, different from our recent work demonstrating the power of CA VI activity in saliva to predict caries development [19], we were not able to show the same ability of CA VI activity in biofilm. A possible explanation for this finding could be that data of CA VI in biofilm showed a higher variation as compared with CA VI activity in saliva even though an appropriated number of individuals was used as evidenced by the sample power calculation which showed a power of 0.80.…”

Carbonic anhydrase VI activity in saliva and biofilm can predict early childhood caries: A preliminary study

“…From a pragmatic point of view, the salivary concentration of CA VI seems to be lower in adults 14 and schoolchildren 15,16 having caries experience. Considering the role of CA VI‐catalyzed bicarbonate buffer as an important parameter of the individual's ability to control pH fluctuations, it, however, is plausible to suppose that CA VI enzymatic activity can provide a more meaningful perspective of dental caries susceptibility.…”

Carbonic Anhydrase 6 Gene Variation influences Oral Microbiota Composition and Caries Risk in Swedish adolescents

“…CA6 is therefore suggested to be an important enzyme in oral physiology and tooth tissues integrity, i.e., resistance to caries and dental erosion 6,10 . However, data are conflicting as both high and low concentrations and activities of CA6 have been associated with caries 4,11,12 .…”