Biochemical, immunological and enzymatic components of saliva in prolonged naso-gastric-fed elderly patients.
OBJECTIVE
We have previously shown that naso-gastric tube (NGT)-fed patients harbor pathogenic flora in their oropharynx. The purpose of this study was to examine comparatively the biochemical, immunological and enzymatic components of the saliva of these patients with that of orally-fed counterparts.


METHODS
The study group consisted of 19 elderly NGT-fed patients and 18 comparable patients on oral feeding. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected and analyzed according to accepted methods for sodium, potassium, chloride, uric acid, total protein, albumin, amylase, lysozyme, and immunoglobulins, IgM, IgG, IgA, as well as secretory IgA.


RESULTS
None of the above tested salivary components significantly differed between the two groups. Only uric acid levels were significantly lower (50%, p < 0.05) in NGT-fed patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Uric acid is the main antioxidant component of saliva and, as such, it may be related to pathogenic bacterial colonization of the oropharynx in NGT-fed patients, with the risk of aspiration pneumonia.
Leibovitz
Arthur
A
Geriatric Medical Center Shmuel Harofe, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Beer Yaacov, Israel. larthur@bezeqint.net
Nagler
Rafael
R
Plotnikov
Galina
G
Habot
Beni
B
Segal
Refael
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors