Evaluation of salivary calcium and salivary parathyroid levels in postmenopausal women with and without oral dryness

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study is to estimate and secondary objective is to compare the salivary calcium levels, salivary parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in postmenopausal women with and without oral dryness (OD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was carried out on 80 selected postmenopausal women. Salivary calcium concentrations were assessed through Semi Autoanalyzer by Arsenazo III reaction. The salivary PTH concentration was measured by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Severity of OD was assessed by a questionnaire through which the xerostomia inventory (XI) score could be measured. Statistical analysis of Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney test and Pearson's correlation was used. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in mean values of both salivary calcium concentration and XI score in postmenopausal women with/without OD (P < 0.001). No statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) was found in salivary parathyroid levels in postmenopausal women in both groups. A positive correlation was found between the salivary calcium concentration and XI score in both case and control groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Severity of OD in postmenopausal women is associated with the high levels of salivary calcium. However, the correlation of severity of OD with PTH could not be established.