Comparison of Salivary Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress Status in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Healthy Pregnant Women.

BACKGROUND: One of the most common complications of pregnant women is gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Oxidative stress can play an important role in GDM. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate salivary antioxidants and oxidative stress markers in GDM. METHODS: Twenty pregnant women with GDM and 20 healthy pregnant women with normal blood glucose test participated in this study. Five mL of unstimulated saliva samples were collected. Spectrophotometric assay was carried out for sialo-chemical analysis. Stata software was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The GDM group exhibited no significant difference in salivary total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde compared to the healthy control group. All antioxidants markers, the uric acid, total antioxidant, peroxidase and catalase, decreased in GDM group that the difference of peroxidase and catalase was statistically significant. All of oxidative stress markers, the salivary malondialdehyde, total oxidative stress and total thiol, increased in GDM group. GDM group exhibited significantly higher salivary total oxidative stress levels. CONCLUSION: Catalase level was significantly lower and total oxidative stress was significantly higher. These two markers might have significant importance and might exhibit early changes compared to other factors in GDM. Some salivary antioxidants might have diagnostic, prognostic or therapeutic implications in GDM. Other studies with large sample size on salivary and blood samples need to be done to confirm these properties and salivary samples using instead of blood samples in GDM biomarkers changes.

The Relationship Between Salivary Alpha Amylase Activity and Score of McGill Pain Questionnaire in Patients With Tension Type Headache.

INTRODUCTION: Tension-type headache is the most common type of headache across the world. Saliva as a non-invasive medium is used to detect a wide range of diseases. Salivary Alpha-Amylase (SAA) levels has been suggested as a potential indirect marker for detecting Sympathoadrenal Medullary (SAM) activity, which is activated by pain. Significant correlation was found between SAA levels and pain scale in patients with chronic pain. The purpose of the present study was to measure SAA activity in Frequent Episodic Tension-Type Headache (FETTH). In addition to the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), we intend to assess intensity and various aspects of pain by McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). METHODS: A total of 45 females with FETTH (case group) and 45 healthy voluntary females (control group) were enrolled in our case-control study. Unstimulated saliva by spitting method was taken from each participant. RESULTS: SAA levels were significantly higher in patients with FETTH (P<0.001) when compared with the control group. There was significant correlation between SAA activity and MPQ score (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: This is the first study using MPQ as a subjective means of assessing quality and quantity of pain alongside the VAS as an objective tool for evaluating pain in patients with FETTH. SAA may be an appropriate marker for assessing of pain levels in patients with FETTH. MPQ versus the VAS may be a more accurate measurement tools along VAS.