Isfahan University of Medical SciencesDental Research Journal1735-33279120120218Comparative analysis of salivary zinc level in recurrent herpes labialis890890ENFaezehKhozeimehNasimJafariSchool of Dentistry, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. nasimjafaripozve@yahoo.comAhmadMovahedian AttarShahramJafariMasoudAtaie20120218Background: Recurrent Herpes Labialis (RHL) is one of most common infective vesiculoulcerativelesions. according to some studies administration of topical and/or systemic zinc compositions hasbeen effective in treatment and prevention. This article aims to comparison of zinc level in healthysubjects and RHL patients in acute and convalescent phases.Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective case – control study, carried on 80 individuals(40 normal and 40 RHL patients) mean age=34.5 and 34.4, respectively. Saliva samples were takenin patients in acute phase once and after healing of lesions in convalescent phase (averagely 21 dayslater) and in normal individuals. Salivary zinc level concentration was measured by flame atomicabsorption spectrophotometer by dry digestion method. The results were statistically analyzedwith SPSS software by t-test (α=0.05).Results: Results showed that salivary zinc level in case group in acute and convalescent phaseswere 160.8 ngr/ml and 205.7 ngr/ml respectivly and significant differences between them were existed(P<0.05). Also significant differences were existed between zinc concentration in healthy subjectsand patient groups (in both phases) (P=.001 and .002 for acute and convalescent phases respectively).Conclusion: According to the results, zinc level is significantly lower in acute phase than inconvalescent phase and significantly lower in both phases compared to healthy individuals,sodetermination of serum zinc level and prescribing zinc complement in low serum status has bothtreatmental and preventive effects in RHL patients.Key Words: Acute phase, convalescent phase, recurrent herpes labialis, zinc levelINTRODUCTIONInfection