Analyses of salivary components in leukemia patients receiving chemotherapy.

We analyzed several salivary components in stimulated whole saliva from patients with acute leukemia who were undergoing chemotherapy. Saliva samples were collected at the time of diagnosis and longitudinally during the treatment period. Data analyses showed that patients with leukemia had significantly higher peroxidase and amylase activity and elevated concentrations of total protein at the time of diagnosis. After induction chemotherapy these parameters returned to normal values and remained constant during the observation period. At the time of diagnosis no significant differences in thiocyanate (SCN-) concentrations were found in saliva samples from control subjects and patients with leukemia. Treatment with cytotoxic agents resulted in granulocytopenia and a concomitant decrease in the SCN- concentration in saliva. The function of the salivary peroxidase system is impaired by the decrease in SCN- concentration, which may be a contributing factor to some of the oral complications that occur in patients undergoing chemotherapy.