Evaluation of Salivary and Plasma Levels of Salivary α-Amylase in Patients of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate levels of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) in plasma and saliva of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The diurnal patterns of sAA and its response to stress were also determined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized clinical study was conducted to evaluate the salivary and plasma levels of sAA in three study groups, containing ten subjects each. sAA concentration in plasma and saliva samples was measured using Bioassay Technology Laboratory human alpha-amylase kits, and the levels were compared among control and test groups. RESULTS: In all groups, the mean plasma α-amylase level and mean saliva α-amylase level show an increasing trend with time, i.e., from morning to night, and among the groups, it was highest in Group III followed by Group II and Group I the least (Group III, Group II, and Group I) at all times with significantly higher mean values in Group III subjects at all times of a day. CONCLUSION: Alpha-amylase is one of the principal salivary proteins and its secretion is regulated by the sympathetic nervous system. The measurement of salivary alpha-amylase activity has been proposed to reflect stress-related changes in the autonomic nervous system, and it may be a good choice for monitoring sympathetic nervous system activity in specialized subjects. Hence, it can be concluded that salivary sAA levels can be taken as a predictable as well as reproducible marker for oral SCC or premalignant lesions.