SALIVARY BIOMARKERS IN PATIENTS RECEIVING RADIOTHERAPY IN THE HEAD AND NECK REGION

Objectives: To investigate salivary biomarkers associated with bone remodeling and tissue repair in patients receiving radiotherapy. Study Design: Ethical approval (85229518.9.0000.5149). Patients previously subjected to radiotherapy of the head and neck were prospectively selected. Individuals who did not receive radiotherapy were paired by age and sex and composed the control group. Inclusion and exclusion criteria applied. Nonstimulated saliva was collected and processed for RANK, RANKL, OPG, endothelial growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Paired t test and Wilcoxon test were used and P values .05). Patients receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy (n = 16) had lower EGF than controls (P .05). Conclusion: Head and neck radiotherapy lowers the salivary concentrations of tissue repair factors, but not the bone remodeling factors. Support: CNPq, CAPES, FAPEMIG.