title: Are salivary amylase and pH - Prognostic indicators of cancers?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Saliva, "Mirror of body's health" has long been of particular interest as a substitute for blood for disease diagnosis and monitoring. The radiation effects on salivary glands are of particular interest in which salivary amylase is a good indicator of salivary glands function. Thus, estimation of these parameters represents a reasonable approach in evaluation of patient's risk for disease occurrence, intensity and prognosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and compare the pH and amylase levels in saliva of cancer patients prior to treatment, patients during treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Saliva samples of 90 individuals were taken which were divided into 3 groups - 30 individuals without cancer, 30 cancer patients prior treatment and 30 cancer patients during treatment. Materials used were pH strips and pH meter, Salivary Amylase assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical analysis - ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey's test. 1) Significant decrease in salivary amylase levels - in cancer patients, during treatment when compared to others. 2) Significant decrease in salivary pH levels in newly diagnosed cancer patients prior to treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To conclude, pH strips and pH meter showed to be a useful tool in the measurement of pH of saliva in individuals with and without cancer. This study showed that cancer patients without treatment have a lower pH of saliva. Treatment increased the pH of the saliva to a more alkaline level whereas amylase levels decreased in those subjects. Therefore those parameters can be an area of further research with an increased sample size, which in-turn may help in opening the doors for new dimension in non invasive prognostic markers.
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Student, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Gitam Dental College, Rushikonda, Vishakhapatnam, 530045, India.
authors.forename: Atmakuri Shanmukha
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ramya
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Gitam Dental College, Rushikonda, Vishakhapatnam, 530045, India.
authors.forename: Divya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uppala
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head of the Department, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Gitam Dental College, Rushikonda, Vishakhapatnam, 530045, India.
authors.forename: Sumit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Majumdar
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Gitam Institute of Sciences, GITAM Dental College, Rushikonda, Vishakhapatnam, 530045, India.
authors.forename: Ch
authors.initials: Ch
authors.lastname: Surekha
authors.affiliation: Research Scholar, Department of Biochemistry, Gitam Institute of Sciences, GITAM Dental College, Rushikonda, Vishakhapatnam, 530045, India.
authors.forename: K G K
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Deepak
keywords: Cancer; Saliva; Salivary amylase; Salivary pH