Glucose in the saliva of the non-diabetic and the diabetic patient

Abstract

Two methods have been used to analyse the saliva of non-diabetic and diabetic patients for glucose content. Using the Somogyi blood glucose estimation technique, glucose was detected only in the saliva of diabetic patients. Blood glucose estimations were conducted on the same patients and no degree of correlation between blood glucose and salivary glucose could be demonstrated. Using Chromatographic techniques, spot tests, and an ultramicro-technique, glucose was found to be present in the saliva of both the non-diabetic and the diabetic patient. At the same time other sugars were detected in the saliva of both groups of patients, namely—galacturonic acid, glucuronic acid, lactose, maltose, sucrose, fructose, mannose, sorbose and arabinose, and a relationship between the coincident presence or absence of these sugars was calculated. A quantitative analysis of the glucose content showed that in those cases which reacted positively the glucose values for the non-diabetic lay between 0.24 and 3.33 mg/100 ml and for the diabetic between 0.44 and 6.33 mg/100 ml.