title: pH and salivary sodium bicarbonate in cancer patients: correlation with seric concentration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the correlation between pH and bicarbonate of soda in blood and saliva in child and adolescent patients during the administration of 3 g/m2 of methotrexate.
  
  
  METHODS
  A controlled clinical test was performed on 23 patients diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Ages ranged from 4 to 18. The Spearman Correlation Coefficient was used to interpret the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant correlation was found between pH levels and seric and salivary sodium bicarbonate. However, there was a significant correlation between the levels of sodium bicarbonate in the body fluids evaluated (rs 0.2576, p=0.0354).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes modifying the microenvironment of the oral cavity probably do not allow saliva to be used to determine blood pH and seric bicarbonate.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela. moralesrojas@cantv.net
authors.forename: Thais
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rojas-Morales
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navas
authors.forename: Ninoska
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Viera
authors.forename: Carmen Julia
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Neira
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chaparro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate