Sonia Elena Nanescu, Liliana Foia, Georgeta Ciomaga, Silvia Mîrțu
All the products of the oxidative stress are normally present within the body and have functions in inter-cellular signaling and anti-bacterial defense, but at high levels they can modify the structure of proteins, DNA, and lipids. The immune system is the first one affected by the oxidative stress. The aggressive periodontal disease is associated to a high extent with the exaggerated immune response and increased oxidative stress. The vitamins with antioxidant roles that have implication at systemic level, and with repercussions at the oral cavity are vitamin E, vitamin C and carotenoids represented by β-carotene lycopene, lutein, and β-cryptoxanthin. However, one of the major problems when assessing the beneficial effects of antioxidant vitamins on the immune system is the lack of a reliable marker of immune function that is known to be indicative a long-term beneficial effect.