Estimation of Serum and Salivary Creatinine and Urea Levels in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Case-Control Study

Background: Saliva is a noninvasive, accessible biofluid that enables the early diagnosis of oral and systemic diseases. Chronic kidney diseases (CKDs) are a group of disorders affecting the kidney, characterized by a reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) that persists for more than three months. Creatinine and urea are the end products of protein metabolism, usually affected by renal damage and subsequently cause a rise in their plasma concentration. Objectives: This study aimed to estimate, compare, and correlate serum and salivary creatinine and urea levels in healthy subjects and subjects with CKD. Methods: Serum and salivary creatinine and urea levels were estimated in 30 healthy subjects and 30 subjects each with stage 3, stage 4, and stage 5 of chronic kidney disease. Results: The mean serum and salivary creatinine and urea levels were increased significantly in subjects with CKD when compared to healthy subjects. Conclusion: The encouraging results of this study demonstrate the potential use of saliva in detecting the levels of creatinine and urea in the diagnosis of CKD.