Saliva as a Surrogate for Blood in Electrolyte Monitoring: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Healthy Individuals
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Abstract
Background: Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride are essential for maintaining fluid balance, nerve function, and cellular homeostasis. Blood-based electrolyte testing is the standard diagnostic approach but its invasiveness may pose challenges. Saliva has emerged as a potential non-invasive alternative biofluid for clinical monitoring. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the levels of sodium, potassium, and chloride in saliva and blood among apparently healthy students, and to assess the correlation between concentrations in both biofluids.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 60 apparently healthy students residing in Port Harcourt. Blood and unstimulated saliva samples were collected and analyzed using standard colorimetric and turbidimetric methods. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 21.0. Paired t-tests and Pearson’s correlation were used to assess differences and relationships, respectively, with significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: Mean concentrations of sodium and chloride were significantly higher in blood (127.7 mmol/L and 97.6 mmol/L, respectively) than in saliva (49.8 mmol/L and 16.8 mmol/L, respectively), while potassium was higher in saliva (37.9 mmol/L) compared to blood (3.0 mmol/L). Only sodium showed a statistically significant inverse correlation between blood and salivary levels (r = –0.39, p < 0.05). Potassium and chloride did not show significant correlations.
Conclusion: Saliva contains measurable levels of sodium, potassium, and chloride, but only salivary sodium demonstrated a meaningful correlation with its blood counterpart in healthy individuals. While salivary sodium may hold potential as a non-invasive diagnostic marker, further studies are needed to validate its utility, particularly in clinical populations.
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