Anitta Benny - Postgraduate Student, Department of Periodontia, Mathrusri Ramabai Ambedkar Dental College, Bengaluru, India
Audrey Madonna D’Cruz - Professor, Nitte (Deemed to be University), AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Mangalore, India

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The prevalence of tobacco use and its associated mortality is increasing worldwide. Biomarkers in saliva, such as thiocyanate levels, have been shown to be a suitable indicator for smoking. The present study is conducted to determine the thiocyanate levels in saliva and compare them among tobacco (smoking and smokeless) users, passive smokers, and non-smokers.METHODS: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted on ۱۰۰ patients attending a dental college in South India. The patients were inquired about their tobacco habits and were divided into ۴ groups: smokers (۲۵), passive smokers (۲۵), smokeless tobacco users (۲۵), non-users (۲۵). Saliva samples were collected from subjects in sterile containers, and thiocyanate levels were estimated. The results were tabulated and analyzed using SPSS software. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for the intergroup comparison of salivary thiocyanate levels. Mann-Whitney U test was used for the pairwise group comparison. If P < ۰.۰۵۰۰, the results were reported to be statistically significant.RESULTS: The results of the study showed that the salivary thiocyanate level was ۷۹.۴۶ ± ۷.۸۰, ۵۰.۱۶ ± ۶.۸۷, ۵۰.۱۶ ± ۱۳.۸۳, and ۳۶.۶۱ ± ۵.۸۴ mmol/l among smokers, passive smokers, smokeless tobacco users, and non-users, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in salivary thiocyanate levels among various groups (P ≤ ۰.۰۰۰۱). All pairwise comparisons showed statistical significance (P ≤ ۰.۰۰۰۱) except the comparison between the passive smokers and smokeless tobacco users groups (P ≤ ۰.۹۲۰۰).CONCLUSION: Salivary thiocyanate may be a diagnostic biomarker for differentiating tobacco users from the non-users.

Saliva, thiocyanate, smoking, Tobacco, Tobacco Smoke Pollution