Evaluation of Salivary Alkaline Phosphatase Levels in Passive Smokers of Different Age Groups

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 15; no. 7; p. e41336
• Main Authors: Mulla, Sayem A, Bedia, Aarti S, Nimmagadda, Haritha K, Bedia, Sumit, Patil, Amit H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 03.07.2023; Cureus
• Subjects: Age groups; Biomarkers; Consent; Dentistry; Disease prevention; Enzymes; Gender; Oral Medicine; Patients; Phosphatase; Phosphate esters; Sample size; Smoking; Urine; Variance analysis; United States > US; passive smoking; salivaomics; salivary alkaline phosphatase; tobacco smoke; secondhand smoke
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.41336
• ISSN: 2168-8184

Background The smoke inhaled by a nonsmoker from the smoldering end of a cigarette is referred to as passive smoke. The nicotine present in smoke is known to cause tissue damage and alter the enzymatic composition of the body. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a group of intracellular hydrolytic enzymes known to partake in cellular metabolism. ALP levels are affected by smoking as well as passive smoking (PS) with a change in the pH of the oral cavity. The association of salivary alkaline phosphatase (S-ALP) levels in different age groups, gender, and times of exposure is not thoroughly explored yet, which was the primary aim of this study. Material and methods A total of 64 samples were collected from passive smokers and non-smokers. Unstimulated saliva (2-2.5 mL) was collected from each subject after obtaining their consent, followed by centrifuging and mixing with ALP reagent in a semi-autoanalyzer to obtain the S-ALP levels. Results Higher S-ALP levels were seen in passive smokers (34.70 IU/L) compared to healthy individuals (12 IU/L), which came to be statistically significant (p<0.01). S-ALP levels, when compared to different age groups and gender, were statistically insignificant (p>0.05). However, higher levels were seen in association with time of exposure in passive smokers where the data was statistically significant (p<0.01), suggesting tissue damage possibly due to oxidative stresses and tissue inflammation on continuous exposure for a minimum of 30-60 minutes daily as per our study. Conclusion Significantly high levels of S-ALP were found in passive smokers in comparison to non-smokers. This suggests that passive smoking has negative effects on the body tissues. Age, gender, and time of exposure of a non-smoker to tobacco smoke can lead to alterations in S-ALP levels. High levels of S-ALP were seen in individuals with prolonged exposure to tobacco smoke on a daily basis. Salivaomics can thus be used as a non-invasive, economical, and accurate alternative in tissue damage diagnosis.