title: Salivary exoglycosidases as markers of alcohol dependence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some salivary markers of alcohol abuse/dependence have been proposed so far: aminotransferases, gamma-glutamyltransferase, ethanol, ethyl glucuronide, ethyl sulfate, sialic acid, β-hexosaminidase A, oral peroxidase, methanol, diethylene/ethylene glycol, α-amylase, clusterin, haptoglobin, heavy/light chains of immunoglobulins and transferrin.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of chronic alcohol drinking and smoking on the activity (pKat/ml) and output (pKat/min) of salivary lysosomal exoglycosidases: α-fucosidase (FUC), α-mannosidase (MAN), β-galactosidase (GAL), and β-glucuronidase (GLU), and their applicability as markers of alcohol dependence.
  
  
  METHODS
  The activity of FUC, MAN, GAL and GLU was measured colorimetrically in the saliva of healthy social drinkers, alcohol-dependent non-smokers and alcohol-dependent smokers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed an increased salivary activity of FUC, GAL, GLU and MAN, as well as an increased output of GAL and GLU, in comparison with controls. The highest increase in the activity/output was found in salivary GLU and MAN (GLU, even 7- to 18-fold), and the least in GAL. We found an excellent sensitivity and specificity and a high accuracy (measured by the area under the ROC curve) for salivary FUC, GLU and MAN activities. The salivary GLU activity positively correlated with the number of days of last alcohol intoxication. Salivary activity of FUC, GAL and MAN, but not GLU, positively correlated with the periodontal parameters such as gingival index and papilla bleeding index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although we found an excellent sensitivity and specificity as well as a high accuracy for the salivary activity of FUC, GLU and MAN, the GLU activity seems to be mostly applicable as a marker of chronic alcohol drinking (alcohol dependence).
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Białystok, Plac Brodowicza 1 Str., 16-070 Choroszcz, Poland napoleonwas@yahoo.com napwas@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Napoleon
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Waszkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Medical Institute, College of Computer Science and Business Administration, Akademicka 14 Str., 18-400 Łomz˙a, Poland.
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chojnowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Paedodontics, Medical University of Białystok, Waszyngtona 15A Str., 15-274 Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zalewska
authors.affiliation: Medical College of the Universal Education Society, Mickiewicza 59 Str., 18-400 Łomz˙a, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zwierz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Białystok, Plac Brodowicza 1 Str., 16-070 Choroszcz, Poland Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Partyzantów 2/4 Str., 05-802 Pruszków, Poland.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szulc
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine and Disasters, Medical University of Białystok, Szpitalna 37 Str., 15-295 Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Sławomir Dariusz
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Szajda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000378:metabolism; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D012463:Saliva / Q000201:enzymology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism; D005644:alpha-L-Fucosidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D043323:alpha-Mannosidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D043323:alpha-Mannosidase; D005966:Glucuronidase; D005644:alpha-L-Fucosidase