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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Comparing Salivary Lactate Dehydrogenase Levels in Patients with Chronic Periodontitis with and without Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

The Open Biotechnology Journal 07 May 2026 RESEARCH ARTICLE DOI: 10.2174/0118740707429930260430072806

Abstract

Background

Both chronic periodontitis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease are highly prevalent inflammatory diseases. The potential biomarker for these conditions is lactate dehydrogenase. The purpose of this study was to investigate salivary lactate dehydrogenase concentrations in patients with CP with and without ATH.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study involving 87 participants aged 30-60 years, divided into four groups: the ATH-only group (n=25), the CP-only group (n=25), the ATH+CP group (n=25), and the normal control group (n=12). The participants underwent periodontal examination and sampling of unstimulated saliva. Salivary LDH was analyzed by ELISA. Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA, post hoc tests, Pearson correlation, and ROC curve analysis.

Results

The salivary LDH values were significantly different among the groups (p < 0.001). The ATH+CP group had the highest value of salivary LDH (24.55 ± 2.55 U/L), followed by the CP group (13.44 ± 4.27 U/L), the ATH group (11.68 ± 3.86 U/L), and the control group (1.53 ± 0.31 U/L). The values of salivary LDH were positively correlated with the clinical parameters of periodontal disease in the diseased groups. The diagnostic accuracy of the ROC analysis was excellent, with an AUC = 0.987.

Discussion

The results obtained in this study suggest that salivary LDH is potentially useful as a noninvasive biomarker for estimating inflammation in patients with periodontitis and cardiovascular disease. The increased levels of LDH, particularly among patients with combined conditions, suggest pathophysiological connections and support emerging evidence concerning the bidirectionality of associations between oral and systemic health.

Conclusion

Salivary LDH is a potential noninvasive biomarker of periodontal disease and may reflect the inflammatory burden in patients with concomitant ATH. The presence of elevated LDH in patients with both conditions indicates pathophysiological overlap.

Keywords: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, Chronic periodontitis, Lactate dehydrogenase, Saliva, Biomarker, Inflammation, ELISA.
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