Protein composition, adhesion, and agglutination properties of saliva in burning mouth syndrome

Resting and stimulated whole saliva and parotid saliva of men and pre- and post-menopausal women with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and their matched controls were studied. Women with BMS had slightly, but not significantly, higher flow rates than their controls. The total protein concentration in stimulated saliva of women with BMS was significantly lower than that of controls. This difference was not associated with the flow rate. The proportional amount of sialic acid, used as an indicator of mucin concentration, was higher in subjects with BMS than in their controls. SDS-PAGE showed no consistent differences in the protein profiles of saliva, nor were any differences observed in the adhesion or agglutination assays between subjects with BMS and their matched controls. Thus, the present results indicate that BMS is not associated with a decrease in the protecting and lubricating properties of saliva.