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Identification of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase in saliva and its correlation with skeletal age

S. Hegde, A. Revankar, Anand K. Patil

Indian Journal of Dental Research, 2018

90 participants · 15 citations

Abstract

Context: Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (B-ALP), a product of osteoblasts, is a bone formation marker whose serum levels fluctuate with puberty and adolescence. Aims: This study aims to assess B-ALP levels in saliva and correlate it with different skeletal maturity stages of hand-wrist radiographs using Hagg and Taranger method. Settings and Design: Observational study and cross-sectional design. Subjects and Methods: Total sample comprised of 90 individuals, right hand-wrist radiographs, and 2 ml unstimulated whole saliva samples taken from each patient on the same day. The hand-wrist radiographs were traced and staged into 5 subgroups (18 individuals each) according to Hagg and Taranger method. Statistical Analysis Used: One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's multiple post hoc test. Results: The comparison of salivary B-ALP values between the different skeletal subgroups using one-way ANOVA depicted statistically significant results (P = 0.0003). Pairwise comparison using Tukey's multiple post hoc procedures showed that salivary B-ALP levels were comparatively higher in subgroup 3 and that the difference between subgroups 1 and 3 (P = 0.0109) and subgroups 3 and 5 (P = 0.0014) was statistically significant. Conclusion: B-ALP could be successfully identified and quantitatively estimated in saliva and showed significant correlation with different skeletal age subgroups as determined by Hagg and Taranger method.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 90 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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