Background
Methods
Participants
Study protocol
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Parotid glands: four fingers from the forefinger to the little finger are placed on the cheeks and the upper molar area is moved back and forth (10 times).
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Sublingual glands: push up slowly the bottom area of chin using the thumbs of both hands (10 to 20 times).
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Submandibular glands: the inside soft part of the jaw is pressed with the thumbs, from below the ear to the tip of the chin, and sequentially pressed in four to five areas (5 times).
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the tongue is held out as far as possible and moved horizontally left and right (10 times).
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the tongue is held out as far as possible and moved vertically up and down to lick the nose and chin (10 times).
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plosive sounds (“Pa”, “Ta”, “Ka” “Ra”) were intensively pronounced in a loud voice up to 10 times.
Measurement of salivary IgA
Data analysis
Results
Salivary parameters
Parameter | n | Baseline | After 3 weeks | After 6 weeks | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average | SD | Average | SD | Z-Value | P-value | Average | SD | Z-Value | P-value | ||||
Stimulate saliva flow rate (ml/min) | 25 | 0.563 | 0.185 | 0.515 | 0.168 | −1.06 | 0.29 | 0.472 | 0.160 | −2.14 | 0.034 | * | |
IgA concentration (μg/ml) | 27 | 91.23 | 58.42 | 87.49 | 75.66 | −2.12 | 0.035 | * | 84.2 | 57.83 | −1.39 | 0.17 | |
IgA secretion rate (μg/min) | 23 | 54.94 | 42.87 | 42.42 | 37.12 | −2.40 | 0.017 | * | 44.05 | 41.5 | −2.13 | 0.035 | * |
Clustering analysis
Characteristics | Lower cluster (A) | Higher cluster (B + C) | Statistic Value | P-Value | Ajusted P-Value | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(n = 11) | (n = 12) | |||||||
Age (years) | 81.9 ± 8.1 | 84.7 ± 7.1 | Z = 0.864 | 0.39 | 0.71 | |||
BMI (kg/m2) | 23.4 ± 2.8 | 20.5 ± 3.4 | Z = 2.06 | 0.039 | * | 0.24 | ||
Sex | Male | 4 | 3 | χ2 (1, n = 23) = 0.35 | 0.55 | 0.84 | ||
Female | 7 | 9 | ||||||
Drink milk | habit | 3 | 3 | χ2 (1, n = 23) = 0.015 | 0.90 | 0.94 | ||
no habit | 8 | 9 | ||||||
Eat yogurt | habit | 3 | 3 | χ2 (1, n = 23) = 0.015 | 0.90 | 0.94 | ||
no habit | 8 | 9 | ||||||
Exercise | habit | 1 | 1 | χ2 (1, n = 22) = 0.018 | 0.89 | 0.94 | ||
no habit | 9 | 11 | ||||||
False teeth | with | 10 | 11 | χ2 (1, n = 23) = 0.041 | 0.95 | 0.95 | ||
without | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Number of colds per year | 0 | 1 | 2 | χ2 (2, n = 16) = 1.04 | 0.59 | 0.84 | ||
1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||
2 | 1 | 5 | ||||||
Number of times brush teeth per day | 2 | 1 | 3 | χ2 (2, n = 23) = 2.18 | 0.34 | 0.71 | ||
3 | 10 | 8 | ||||||
4 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
Diabetes | with | 1 | 1 | χ2 (1, n = 22) = 0.011 | 0.88 | 0.94 | ||
(DM) | without | 10 | 8 | |||||
Hypertension | with | 3 | 5 | χ2 (1, n = 20) = 0.82 | 0.06 | 0.29 | ||
(HT) | without | 8 | 4 | |||||
Parkinson’s disease | with | 0 | 1 | χ2 (1, n = 20) = 0.82 | 0.26 | 0.62 | ||
(PD) | without | 11 | 8 | |||||
Heart diseases | with | 2 | 1 | χ2 (1, n = 20) = 0.099 | 0.66 | 0.88 | ||
(HD) | without | 9 | 8 | |||||
Hyperthyroidism | with | 0 | 1 | χ2 (1, n = 20) = 0.83 | 0.26 | 0.62 | ||
(HO) | without | 11 | 8 | |||||
Cerebrovascular disease | with | 7 | 3 | χ2 (1, n = 20) = 0.92 | 0.18 | 0.62 | ||
(CD) | without | 4 | 6 | |||||
Anti-hypertensive agent | use | 6 | 3 | χ2 (1, n = 20) = 0.15 | 0.58 | 0.84 | ||
(AH) | no use | 5 | 6 | |||||
Diuretics | use | 0 | 1 | χ2 (1, n = 20) = 0.83 | 0.26 | 0.62 | ||
(DR) | no use | 11 | 8 | |||||
Psychotropic drug | use | 2 | 2 | χ2 (1, n = 20) = 0.025 | 0.82 | 0.94 | ||
(PS) | no use | 9 | 7 | |||||
Antidepressants | use | 1 | 0 | χ2 (1, n = 20) = 0.69 | 0.35 | 0.71 | ||
(AD) | no use | 10 | 9 | |||||
Methyldopa | use | 0 | 1 | χ2 (1, n = 20) = 0.83 | 0.26 | 0.62 | ||
(ME) | no use | 11 | 8 | |||||
H2 blocker | use | 1 | 2 | χ2 (1, n = 20) = 0.33 | 0.41 | 0.71 | ||
(HB) | no use | 10 | 7 | |||||
Stimulated saliva flow rate (ml/min) | 0.46 ± 0.11 | 0.59 ± 0.085 | Z = 2.81 | 0.0049 | ** | 0.039 | * | |
IgA concentration (μg/ml) | 57.7 ± 30.1 | 107 ± 27.8 | Z = 2.89 | 0.0039 | ** | 0.039 | * | |
IgA secretion rate (μg/min) | 26.4 ± 13.5 | 63.8 ± 16.2 | Z = 3.42 | 0.00060 | *** | 0.014 | * |
Characteristics | Salivary flow (ml/min) | Z-Score | P-Value | Ajusted P-Value | IgA concentration (μg/ml) | Z-Score | P-Value | Ajusted P-Value | IgA secretion rate (μg/min) | Z-Score | P-Value | Ajusted P-Value | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
without/no use | with/use | without/no use | with/use | without/no use | with/use | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Average ± S.D. | n | Average ± S.D. | n | Average ± S.D. | n | Average ± S.D. | n | Average ± S.D. | n | Average ± S.D. | n | ||||||||||||||||
Diabetes | 0.54 ± 0.11 | 21 | 0.56 ± 0.23 | 2 | 0.273 | 0.74 | 0.81 | 87.0 ± 44.6 | 21 | 122 ± 14.7 | 2 | 1.36 | 0.16 | 0.52 | 50.8 ± 30.9 | 21 | 66.8 ± 19.6 | 2 | 0.927 | 0.33 | 0.52 | ||||||
Hypertension | 0.51 ± 0.13 | 14 | 0.58 ± 0.084 | 9 | 1.23 | 0.21 | 0.50 | 81.8 ± 42.7 | 14 | 103 ± 45.0 | 9 | 1.10 | 0.26 | 0.52 | 46.0 ± 29.7 | 14 | 62.0 ± 29.7 | 9 | 1.291 | 0.19 | 0.52 | ||||||
Parkinson’s disease | 0.52 ± 0.11 | 21 | 0.69 ± 0.03 | 2 | 2.02 | 0.04 | * | 0.24 | 89.1 ± 44.6 | 22 | 112 | 1 | 0.678 | 0.45 | 0.54 | 50.9 ± 30.1 | 22 | 80.8 | 1 | 0.98 | 0.29 | 0.54 | |||||
Heart diseases | 0.55 ± 0.11 | 19 | 0.49 ± 0.03 | 4 | 0.771 | 0.42 | 0.55 | 87.5 ± 37.5 | 19 | 102 ± 73.8 | 4 | 0.284 | 0.11 | 0.52 | 51.7 ± 26.8 | 19 | 54.9 ± 48.2 | 4 | 0.041 | 0.94 | 0.52 | ||||||
Hyperthyroidism | 0.54 ± 0.12 | 22 | 0.45 | 1 | 0.678 | 0.45 | 0.55 | 89.2 ± 44.7 | 22 | 111 | 1 | 0.528 | 0.55 | 0.60 | 52.3 ± 30.8 | 22 | 50.4 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 | 0.60 | ||||||
Cerebrovascular disease | 0.56 ± 0.11 | 12 | 0.51 ± 0.13 | 11 | 0.954 | 0.32 | 0.55 | 101 ± 42.9 | 11 | 80.2 ± 44.2 | 12 | 1.26 | 0.20 | 0.52 | 56.7 ± 28.8 | 11 | 48.1 ± 31.9 | 12 | 0.769 | 0.42 | 0.52 | ||||||
Antihypertensive agent | 0.54 ± 0.14 | 8 | 0.54 ± 0.11 | 15 | 0.161 | 0.85 | 0.85 | 63.1 ± 27.5 | 8 | 105 ± 44.8 | 15 | 2.03 | 0.04 | * | 0.48 | 40.0 ± 24.7 | 8 | 58.7 ± 31.4 | 15 | 1.323 | 0.18 | 0.48 | |||||
Diuretics | 0.53 ± 0.13 | 20 | 0.63 ± 0.053 | 3 | 1.90 | 0.06 | 0.24 | 86.5 ± 39.9 | 21 | 127 ± 86.2 | 2 | 0.709 | 0.45 | 0.54 | 49.6 ± 27.2 | 21 | 79.6 ± 59.6 | 2 | 0.818 | 0.38 | 0.54 | ||||||
Psychotropic drugs | 0.55 ± 0.12 | 19 | 0.50 ± 0.12 | 4 | 0.689 | 0.46 | 0.55 | 93.6 ± 44.0 | 19 | 73.7 ± 45.5 | 4 | 0.771 | 0.42 | 0.54 | 54.6 ± 30.0 | 19 | 40.7 ± 31.9 | 4 | 0.771 | 0.42 | 0.54 | ||||||
Antidepressants | 0.55 ± 0.11 | 22 | 0.4 | 1 | 0.957 | 0.34 | 0.55 | 88.2 ± 43.9 | 22 | 133 | 1 | 0.258 | 0.23 | 0.52 | 52.2 ± 30.8 | 22 | 53 | 1 | 0.226 | 0.76 | 0.52 | ||||||
Methyldopa | 0.52 ± 0.11 | 21 | 0.69 ± 0.034 | 2 | 2.02 | 0.04 | * | 0.24 | 89.1 ± 44.6 | 22 | 112 | 1 | 0.678 | 0.45 | 0.54 | 50.9 ± 30.1 | 22 | 80.8 | 1 | 0.98 | 0.29 | 0.54 | |||||
H2 blocker | 0.54 ± 0.12 | 20 | 0.52 ± 0.12 | 3 | 0.320 | 0.13 | 0.39 | 91.6 ± 45.0 | 20 | 80.3 ± 42.2 | 3 | 0.320 | 0.72 | 0.72 | 53.6 ± 31.0 | 20 | 43.1 ± 25.9 | 3 | 0.411 | 0.65 | 0.72 |