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