Salivary Proteomic Patterns in Children Affected by Different Severity Degrees of Molar Incisor Hypomineralization

Abstract

Abstract Saliva is a rich-bodily fluid with recognized clinical diagnosis roles and this research aimed at investigating if there is any change in the salivary proteome signatures of MIH children with distinct degrees of severity. Fifty schoolers (6–10 years) were equally assigned into the following groups: G1 (Control group - Healthy teeth), G2 (Mild MIH with white/creamy opacity and free of caries), G3 (Mild MIH with yellow/brown opacity and free of caries), G4 (Severe MIH with white/creamy, yellow/brown opacities including post-eruptive fracture and free of caries), G5 (Severe MIH with white/creamy, yellow/brown opacities, post-eruptive fracture, and caries). Unstimulated saliva samples were collected and later explored using mass spectrometry analysis. In total, 6,471 proteins were found, 5,073 exclusively from MIH children, and 778 overlapping among the different degrees of the disturb. The Biological Pathways displayed distinct patterns among the groups, being different according to the degrees of MIH. Gene-Odontology differences might not be verified regarding the biological processes and cellular components. Conversely, with respect to molecular function, alterations among groups were evident, with the presence of proteins that would contribute to MIH in children with the severe condition (i.e, calcium ion binding, microtubule binding, platelet-derived growth factor binding). In conclusion, the results of this study support important salivary proteomic changes in MIH children, according to distinct degrees of severity, reinforcing the interplay between the clinical characteristics and changes in the salivary proteome.