Objective:
Measurement of potassium (K+) secretion in saliva in pediatric patients suffering from different stages of chronic renal disease (CKD).
Methods:
106 children, adolescents and young adults were divided as follow; 25 pre dialytic (PrD) patients, 18 patients on maintenance dialysis (D), 31 transplanted patients (T) and 32 healthy children (C). Unstimulated whole saliva was collected using the spitting method. The collected saliva samples were thawed, than centrifuged (4000 RPM, 20min, 250C). The supernatants were analysed using Hitachi 917 autoanalayzer, and the concentrations of K were analysed.
Results:
The salivary K+ level in the D group was found significantly higher than in the control group (mean=28.86, 23.21, respectively, p=0.03).
The K+ levels in the PrD group was found significantly higher compared to the T group (mean=31.6, 25.65 , respectively, p=0.01) and compared to the C group (mean=23.21, p=0.0004).
Conclusions:
An increased salivary K+ levels in all patient's groups compared to control was found. This observation may reflect a compensatory active secretory mechanism in pediatric CKD patients that suffer from serum hyperkalemia.
Acknowledgments
This study is sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Health.