title: Salivary flow rate, pH, and concentrations of calcium, phosphate, and sIgA in Brazilian pregnant and non-pregnant women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies on salivary variables and pregnancy in Latin America are scarce. This study aimed to compare salivary flow rate, pH, and concentrations of calcium, phosphate, and sIgA of unstimulated whole saliva in pregnant and non-pregnant Brazilians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study. Sample was composed by 22 pregnant and 22 non-pregnant women attending the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics, São Lucas Hospital, in Porto Alegre city, South region of Brazil. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected to determine salivary flow rate, pH, and biochemical composition. Data were analyzed by Student t test and ANCOVA (two-tailed alpha = 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No difference was found for salivary flow rates and concentrations of total calcium and phosphate between pregnant and non-pregnant women (p > 0.05). Pregnant women had lower pH (6.7) than non-pregnant women (7.5) (p < 0.001), but higher sIgA level (118.9 mg/L) than the latter (90.1 mg/L) (p = 0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some of the tested variables of unstimulated whole saliva were different between pregnant and non-pregnant Brazilians in this sample. Overall, the values of the tested salivary parameters were within the range of international references of normality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. ivetrock@pucrs.br
authors.forename: Maria I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Rockenbach
authors.forename: Sandra A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.forename: Elaine B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Veeck
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lindemann
authors.forename: Rosemary S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Shinkai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D010710:Phosphates; D002118:Calcium