Evaluation of Salivary Interferon-Gamma Level in Patients with Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis

Introduction: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is defined by recurring ulcers restricted to oral mucosa in the patients with no other signs of systemic disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the salivary level of interferon gamma in patients with RAS. Methods: In this case-control study, 30 patients with RAS (in Recurrence and recovery period) in the experimental and 25 healthy people as the control group were compared. Salivary interferon gamma level was evaluated by the use of ELISA method. Data were analyzed via SPSS version 16 software with Mann-U-Whitney test and Wilcoxon. P <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean salivary interferon gamma levels were 45.01±31.02 pg/ml and 32.04±19.02 pg/ml in the patients with RAS and healthy individuals, respectively. (P>0.001). In addition, interferon gamma level was 45.01± 31.02 pg/ml and 58.03± 52.04 pg/ml in the recurrence and recovery periods, respectively. (P=0.67). Conclusion: Salivary interferon gamma levels were higher in the patients with RAS than healthy individuals.