Comparing salivary level of alpha-amylase in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis and healthy individuals

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) results due to a multiple of causes, amongst which stress is one of the most important factors. On the other hand, salivary alpha (alpha)-amylase (SAA) is a secretory protein that increases in stress conditions. This study evaluated SAA level in subjects with RAS. METHODS: In this case-control (descriptive-analytical) study, unstimulated saliva samples were collected from 27 patients with RAS and 29 healthy controls. SAA activity was determined by spectrophotometric method using commercially available kit according to manufacturer procedure. Data were analyzed using SPSS software with t test (P < 0.05 was considered significant). RESULTS: SAA level in patients with RAS was 80.78 +/- 4.69 U/ml and 65.61 +/- 27.52 U/ml during recurrence and recovery, respectively (P = 0.005). SAA level in control group was 19.99 +/- 4.65 U/ml. There was a significant difference in the SAA level between RAS and control groups. CONCLUSION: SAA level has been increased in patients with aphthous ulcer during recurrence, which may indicate an association between aphthous ulcer and stress.