Uric acid concentration in saliva and its changes with the patients receiving treatment for hyperuricemia

Abstract

To date, few studies have examined uric acid in saliva or dental calculus. The purpose of this study is to examine the uric acid concentration in saliva and serum. Saliva and blood samples were collected from 244 participants. We divided them into four groups: untreated or treated group in normal or abnormal serum uric acid concentration groups. Within the untreated group, Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to examine the correlation between salivary and serum uric acid concentrations. We compared uric acid concentrations between saliva and serum, or between untreated and treated groups using the paired or unpaired student’s t-test. In the untreated group, uric acid concentrations in saliva and serum were significantly and positively correlated (r = 0.503, P < 0.01). Within the untreated group, those with abnormal serum uric acid concentrations had significantly higher uric acid concentrations in serum and saliva compared to those with normal serum uric acid concentrations (P < 0.01). Within the untreated group, uric acid concentrations in serum were significantly higher than that in saliva (P < 0.01). Uric acid concentrations in saliva of the treated group were significantly higher than that of the untreated group (P < 0.01). Within the treated group, uric acid concentrations in saliva were significantly higher than that of serum, particularly in users of benzbromarone (P < 0.01). Uric acid concentrations in saliva were lower than that in serum among non-users of benzbromarone. In contrast, uric acid concentrations in saliva of patients taking benzbromarone were higher than that in serum. We surmise that URAT1 may influence uric acid excretion in the salivary gland.