Publication:

A comparative study of salivary and serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase in patients with osteoporosis

Background This study was undertaken to investigate the changes in salivary and serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase in osteoporosis patients. The objective was to compare the change in serum levels with those in saliva.

Methods The study was conducted in the department of biochemistry, National Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Shobha Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Subjects were selected from department of orthopedics, National Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Shobha Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. At the same time one hundred adult osteoporosis patients confirmed by DEXA were taken. Calcium and alkaline phosphatase were measured in serum and saliva of each patient. The data obtained was statistically analyzed.

Results Serum calcium has strong positive correlation with salivary calcium (r=0.726) while serum ALP and salivary ALP had weak positive correlation (r =0.453).

Conclusions Saliva can be used to measure calcium level instead of serum as it is non-invasive, quick and easy method.