Perbedaan Kadar Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) Saliva pada Penderita SAR dan Bukan Penderita SAR Mahasiswa FKG USU Tahun 2024

Abstract

Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS) was an oral disease that had several predisposing factors, one of which was impaired immunity. One of the immune systems that played a role was TNF-α. TNF-α is known to have a relationship with the occurrence of RAS. The purpose of this study was to see the difference in salivary TNF-α levels between RAS sufferers and non RAS among academic and professional students of the USU Faculty of Dentistry. This study was an analytical observational study with a case control design involving 48 samples, consisting of 24 case groups (RAS patients) and 24 control groups (non-RAS patients). Gender matching was carried out, and the inclusion criteria were that participants were not pregnant, willing to sign informed consent, and had not taken steroid-type drugs in the last 1 month. The exclusion criteria were having systemic diseases that could affect TNF-α levels (such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease), being cooperative and using orthodontic and prosthodontic devices. The sample selection method was carried out using purposive sampling technique. Sample collection was done using unstimulated saliva with the drooling method. Measurement of salivary TNF-α levels was conducted using the ELISA method. Statistical data processing and analysis were performed with the Mann Whitney test. The results showed that salivary TNF-α levels in women were higher (92.294 ± 83.8818 µg/dL) than in men (90.369 ± 73.5858 µg/dL). Salivary TNF-α levels in RAS patients were higher (138.588 ± 80.5005 µg/dL) than in non-RAS patients (43.434 ± 26.1618 µg/dL), and there was a significant difference in the mean salivary TNF-α levels between the case and control groups (p = 0.0001). The conclusion of this study was that there were differences in salivary TNF-α levels between RAS patients and non-RAS patients among USU Faculty of Dentistry students.