Relation Between Salivary (Immunoglobulin A , Flow Rate and PH ) level and Estrogen Receptor Expression Among Patients with Breast Cancer

Abstract

Estrogen receptors (ERs) are a group of  proteins , either of  nuclear or membrane type , that activated by estrogen hormone which expressed in majority of breast cancer patients .  Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among the women and account about one third of the registered female malignancies. The relation between salivary immunoglobulin A (SIgA), Salivary Flow Rate (SFR) and PH of saliva with sex hormone receptors expression yet not well understood where there was few researches that highlights the nature of relation . The reduction in the SIgA  and SFR often makes oral tissue more prone for infection. The objectives of this study is to determine the relation between the SIgA, SFR, PH, and sex hormone receptor expression in patients with breast cancer.

study of cross sectional design was conducted from Jan. to Nov. 2016, samples of 3-5 ml of saliva collected from forty five (45) female patients with breast cancer at Oncology Teaching Hospital . The  patients were categorized according to estrogen  receptor status  expression  depending on their medical records  (26 positive and 19 negative expression ). The sociodemographic characteristics  and gynecological history including the age ,Body Mass Index(BMI), menopause status also reported. The SIgA, measured by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay technique (ELISA) , the SFR calculated by dividing the total collected saliva volume in milliliter by  time in minute .The salivary PH measured by digital PH meter. Then  the measured variables compared according to expression of  estrogen receptor either positive or negative .The statistical analysis carried out by using independent student T- test  and pearson correlation test were used to confirmed significant( p ≤ 0.05 ) was considered significant The results showed that the level of  SIgA, SFR and salivary PH for group  of ER+ ve expression  were  significantly lower than that of ER –ve expression  where it was for ER+ve (136.8  , 155.7  and 5.8  ) while for ER-ve was  (304.5,  248.5 and  6.1) respectively.also,the results revealed that a positive correlation between SIgA and SFR ( r=0.7) while a negative correlation between the SIgA and PH (r = -0.3)  . We could conclude that the patients with breast cancer of  ER+ve expression had low level of SIgA also had reduction in SFR  which make them  more prone for oral infection