title: Salivary hexosaminidase in smoking alcoholics with bad periodontal and dental states.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A sensitive alcohol marker, β-hexosaminidase (HEX), in the saliva of alcoholics, is investigated for the first time.
  
  
  METHODS
  The activity, specific-activity and output of total HEX and its isoenzymes HEX A and HEX B were measured in the saliva of healthy controls (C), alcohol-dependent non-smokers (ANS), and alcohol-dependent smokers (AS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a significantly increased activity/specific-activity and output of HEX A in the ANS and AS groups, due to the inflammatory state of the oral-cavity/salivary-glands. Significantly increased activity of HEX A contributed to an increase in the salivary activity of the total HEX in the ANS group. A significant decrease in the activity/specific-activity of HEX B in AS seemed to be due to HEX B inactivation by cigarette smoke. We noticed a tendency for deteriorated dental state (lower decayed-missing-filled-teeth index - DMFT), worse periodontal state (higher gingival index - GI and papilla-bleeding index - PBI) in AS, and worse periodontal state (higher GI) in ANS, as compared to the controls. We found no differences in the salivary protein concentrations between all groups and decreased salivary flow in both alcoholic groups as compared to the controls. In alcoholics, the area under the curve (AUC) for HEX A activity/specific-activity was significantly greater than for HEX and HEX B. The salivary HEX A activity/specific-activity had good/excellent sensitivity and specificity in smoking and non-smoking alcoholics, whereas salivary HEX and HEX B had poor/fair sensitivity and specificity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Salivary HEX A may be helpful in the diagnosis of chronic alcohol intoxication, even in smokers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Białystok, ul. Plac Brodowicza 1, 16-070 Choroszcz, Poland. napoleonwas@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Napoleon
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Waszkiewicz
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chojnowska
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zalewska
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zwierz
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szulc
authors.forename: Sławomir Dariusz
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Szajda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology*; D019540:Area Under Curve; D015415:Biomarkers; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000473:pathology; D006304:Health Status; D006596:Hexosaminidases / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D010512:Periodontal Index; D012463:Saliva / Q000201:enzymology*; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007527:Isoenzymes; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D006596:Hexosaminidases