Meta-Analysis of the Use of 8-OHdG in Saliva as a Marker of Periodontal Disease

The objective was to collect the available evidence on oxidative stress marker measurements in periodontal patients, focusing specifically on 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as a salivary marker of periodontal disease, and to perform meta-analyses to calculate differences in concentration compared to healthy persons. A systematic search in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus identified 81 articles. Of these, 38 were duplicates. After reading the abstracts of the remaining 43, 42 were selected for full-text assessment. Finally, 17 articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. Those excluded were of low quality, did not answer the research question, or did not meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of the 17 in the qualitative synthesis, 9 were included in the meta-analysis. The 9 studies in the meta-analysis were combined in a random effects model. Their heterogeneity was high (Q = 3982.02, p < 0.001, I(2) = 99.8%). The difference in mean 8-OHdG concentration in saliva between periodontal and healthy subjects was estimated at 2.11 ng/ml (95% CI 1.23–2.98). The different saliva collection methods (stimulated/unstimulated) did not explain the heterogeneity. The 8-OHdG levels in saliva of periodontal patients were almost double to those of healthy patients: 8-OHdG is clearly a powerful periodontal disease marker.