Development of an Oxidative Stress Variable to Evaluate the Association between Superoxide Dismutase Levels and Gingivo-Periodontal Alterations in Childhood Leukemia

<jats:p>Exploring the oxidative stress markers involved in inflammation-driven processes and gingivo-periodontal alterations in healthy children and, in particular, in children with leukemia is insufficiently addressed in the current literature. The objective of this study was to develop an oxidative stress variable in order to explore the relationship between local and systemic SOD (superoxide dismutase) levels and gingival and periodontal alterations in a juvenile population with leukemia. Out of 97 children included in our investigation, 47 were diagnosed with this hematologic malignancy and 50 children without this pathology represented the control batch. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and plasma samples were collected and the levels of SOD, MDA (malondialdehyde) and 8-OHdG (8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine) were quantified using ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) techniques. An oxidative stress variable was constructed, based on the arithmetic average of the two biomarkers (MDA and 8-OHdG), then compared to SOD values and analyzed for a potential antioxidant role in the cascade of oxidative stress on gingival and periodontal tissues, both locally in GCF and systemically in plasma. The statistical analysis was based on Pearson correlation tests and linear regression analysis, using SPSS software (IBM SPSS Statistics 26). The findings of the present study suggest alterations in the oxidative status at both the local and systemic levels in children with leukemia, without supporting a significant antioxidant role of SOD within the complex cascade of oxidative and antioxidant changes associated with this oncologic condition.</jats:p>