title: Evaluation of psychosomatic stress in children by measuring salivary chromogranin A.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the usefulness of salivary chromogranin A (CgA) and cortisol as stress markers, and the effects of distraction on the suppression of stress in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined salivary CgA and cortisol responses before and after venipuncture in hospitalized children with and without distraction using a kaleidoscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Salivary CgA levels immediately after venipuncture were significantly higher than those immediately before it, and at 60 min after venipuncture they were significantly lower than those immediately after it. However, salivary cortisol showed no significant differences at any of the three time points. In contrast, distracted by the kaleidoscope, there were no significant differences in salivary CgA and cortisol levels at all three time points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children, salivary CgA level is a useful marker of stress. As an index of the effect of distraction, the measurement of salivary CgA is useful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. lee@snow.odn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Tsubasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Obinata
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashiro
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000523:psychology*; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053379:Chromogranin A; D006854:Hydrocortisone