SALIVARY VITAMIN D3 AS A NON-INVASIVE BIOMARKER IN RECURRENT APHTHOUS STOMATITIS- A CASE- CONTROL STUDY

Background: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a common, painful oral ulcerative disorder with a multifactorial
etiology involving immune dysregulation and nutritional deficiencies. Vitamin D, known for its immunomodulatory
and anti-inflammatory effects, has been increasingly studied for its role in RAS. While serum vitamin D levels have
been explored, salivary vitamin D3 measurement offers a non-invasive alternative.
Objective: To evaluate salivary vitamin D3 levels in patients with RAS compared to healthy controls and assess its
potential as a biomarker in disease pathogenesis.
Methods: A case-control study was conducted with 24 patients (12 clinically diagnosed RAS patients and 12 matched
healthy individuals). Salivary samples were analyzed for vitamin D3 concentration using delayed competitive ELISA.
A paired t test was done used using SPSS software for statistical analysis.
Results: RAS patients showed significantly lower salivary vitamin D3 concentrations (40.96–55 ng/mL) than controls
(51.05–60.91 ng/mL), suggesting an association between vitamin D deficiency and RAS (p < 0.05). These results
support vitamin D’s role in modulating immune responses linked to ulcer formation. Saliva proved to be a reliable,
non-invasive medium for vitamin D3 assessment.
Conclusion:The findings revealed vitamin D deficiency in patients with RAS and highlight salivary vitamin D3 as a
practical biomarker. Incorporating vitamin D screening in clinical evaluation of RAS patients may improve diagnosis
and management. Further research, including larger, multicentric studies with genetic and environmental
considerations, is needed to clarify causality and optimize vitamin D-based therapeutic strategies.