Chondroitin sulfate and kallikrein in saliva: markers for glossodynia.

Glossodynia or burning mouth syndrome is a multifunctional disorder. The oral mucosa is apparently normal but patients report burning and dried mouth and painful tongue and lips. The present study reports biochemical and physiological markers in saliva of patients presenting glossodynia compared to normal subjects. Saliva-buffering capacity and contents of protein and hyaluronic (HA) acid were similar in both groups. In contrast, chondroitin sulfate (CS) concentration was decreased in the saliva of patients with glossodynia when compared to control group (p=0.0036). On the other hand glandular kallikrein showed increased activity in the saliva of patients compared to normal subjects (p<0.0001). The data suggest involvement of the kinin system, possibly related to the low levels of CS. Depression could explain the low level of serotonin in patient serum (p=0.0478).