Amitha HA

ECC (Early childhood caries) can begin early life of children (infant to preschooler) and progress rapidly in those who are at high risk, and If left untreated, leads to pain, bacteraemia, alteration in growth and development, premature tooth loss, speech disorder, increase in treatment costs, loss of confidence and negative affect on the successor permanent teeth. Hence prompt diagnosis and treatment becomes imperative.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a diverse class peptides that play a role in host defence of the oral cavity and other locations. Many AMPs have multiple functions and properties that influence aspects of innate defence and colonization by microorganisms. The various functional families of antimicrobial peptides in the oral cavity include; cationic peptides, neuropeptides, antimicrobial peptides showing bacterial agglutination and adhesion, metal ion chelation and protease inhibition activity against   bacterial cell wall.(Michael Gro? schl.,2009)

AMPs serve as effective biological molecules in the immune activation, inflammation and wound healing and are being extensively researched upon for clinical applications. Moreover, Development of caries in children has been linked with the low-level expression of a- defensins(Tao et al., 2005).

The purpose of the current study was to utilise the ELISA technique for accurate quantitation of salivary Adrenomedullin in the Children with ECC and the Caries free group using the Human adrenomedullin ELISA KIT to assess the antimicrobial effect.

Since only a few studies have been conducted studying the antimicrobial properties of salivary adrenomedullin(Adm) and its function in the host’s innate defence pertaining to the oral health, the current study would be the first of its kind that would try to assess the role of Salivary Adm in the paediatric age group particularly in Children with Early childhood caries and comparing the levels of Adm in normal children.