title: The Effect of Smoking on Mineral and Protein Compositionof Saliva.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess the salivary composition of proteins and minerals in smokers compared with non-smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study we compared the total protein and Ca, Na, K, Mg, Pb of whole saliva in two groups of men (28 smokers and 31nonsmokers) aged between 29-41years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-nine participants were evaluated. The mean age was 33.14±5.32 years among smokers and 32.15±5.12 years among non-smokers (P>0.05). The mean concentration of total protein, Ca, Pb, and Zn of whole saliva in smokers was lower than that in non-smokers, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The mean concentration of Na, K, Mg in whole saliva was not significantly different between smokers and non-smokers (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We specified that smoking reduced the value of total protein, Ca and Pb of saliva, however it did not have an impact on Na, K, and Mg of saliva.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fattahi Bafghi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goljanian Tabrizi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Peyman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bakhshayi
keywords: Ca; K; Mg; Na; Pb; Saliva; Smokers; Total Protein