LACTOFERRIN AS A MARKER OF ANTIMICROBIAL PROTECTION OF THE ORAL CAVITY AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF SURGICAL TREATMENT OF LOWER JAW

Abstract

Oral homeostasis depends directly on the intake of oral fluid in sufficient quantities, which is able to protect both solid tissues and periodontal tissues and mucous membranes from microorganisms, as well as remove endo – and exogenous microorganisms and their metabolites. The complexity of predicting the results of surgical treatment is associated with local immunity in the oral cavity, a system of non– specific antimicrobial protection, which is accompanied by depletion of the reserve of adaptive capabilities of the body and therefore increases the likelihood of complications after the operation. Purpose of the study. Study of lactoferrin content in oral fluid in children with a lower jaw fracture during surgical treatment. Materials and methods of research. We conducted a clinical study of 15 children with a mandibular angle fracture aged 6 to 17 years, who were divided into 2 groups depending on age. The comparison groups consisted of healthy children who did not have dental pathology and were clinically healthy (6–11 years – 21 children and 12–17 years – 19 children). All the examined children were students or students of educational institutions and applied for treatment in the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery of the city 

multidisciplinary clinical hospital of mother and child named after Professor M. F. Rudnev in Dnipro. Statistical data processing was performed using Generally Accepted nonparametric methods using MS Excel and the licensed statistical program Biostat. Differences between groups with an error probability of less than 5 % (p<0.05) were considered reliable. Research results and their discussion. Analyzing the data, we found that the quantitative value of lactoferrin in oral fluid is 8.67±0.45 ng/mL in healthy children aged 6–11 years and 9.83±0.52 ng/mL in 12–17 years and these data do not significantly differ from each other (р˃0,05), which may indicate the independence of the studied indicator from the age of the child. At the same time, children aged 6–11 years with a lower jaw fracture were found to have a 2.5–fold increase in lactoferrin values in preparation for osteosynthesis using miniplasts. Similar changes were found in the preoperative period and in the older age group of children aged 12–17 years who had a permanent bite, and the digital values of lactoferrin were increased almost 5 times, which may be due to post–traumatic stress and the process of inflammation in periodontal tissues. Conclusions. Thus, the level of lactoferrin in the oral fluid can be a reliable prognostic sign of the development of inflammatory complications in the oral cavity against the background of surgical treatment of lower jaw fractures using mini–plates. In our opinion, the assessment of the probability of development of these complications with correction of preventive and therapeutic measures should be carried out depending on the value of the prognostic index .