Evaluation of salivary Adseverin, DEFA-1 and sRANKL levels in periodontal health and disease: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

This investigation aimed to evaluate salivary levels of adseverin (Ads), DEFA-1, and sRANKL in periodontal health, gingivitis, and periodontitis, and to explore their discriminatory potential across periodontal conditions. A total of 60 systemically healthy, nonsmoking individuals were recruited for this cross-sectional study and allocated into three groups according to periodontal clinical findings: healthy controls (Group Hp, n = 20), gingivitis (Group G, n = 20), and periodontitis (Group P, n = 20). Comprehensive full-mouth periodontal parameters were recorded for all participants. Salivary concentrations of Ads, DEFA-1, and sRANKL were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Group P exhibited significantly elevated salivary Ads and sRANKL levels compared with both Group G and Group Hp ( p < 0.05). Moreover, these biomarkers were also higher in Group G than in Group Hp ( p < 0.05). In contrast, Group Hp demonstrated the highest salivary DEFA-1 concentrations relative to the disease groups ( p < 0.05). Based on ROC analysis, salivary Ads (AUC = 0.835), DEFA-1 (AUC = 0.812), and sRANKL (AUC = 0.877) demonstrated comparable diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing periodontal disease from periodontal health. Ads and sRANKL may play key roles as biomarkers reflecting pathogenic processes in periodontal disease. Conversely, the higher DEFA-1 levels identified in healthy individuals suggest a more preserved innate defensin barrier in periodontal health. Overall, these salivary markers hold considerable promise as noninvasive tools for screening and discriminating between periodontal health and disease states. This study is registered with number of “NCT06402877” in ClinicalTrials.gov website from the date of May 6, 2024.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Oral Health, 2026 · DOI ↗