The Comparison of Salivary Alpha Amylase Enzym Level Between Anxiety Patients and Depression Patients

Abstract

Salivary ?-amylase (sAA) serves as a marker of sympathoadrenal medullary system (SAM) activity. Research on the comparison of salivary ?-amylase levels between anxiety disorder and depression disorder had not been widely reported. In the current study, 30 anxiety patients, 30 depression patients and 30 healthy volunteers were assessed with Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) for anxiety patients and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) for depression patients. The measurement of the salivary ?-amylase (sAA) was performed before the anxiety patients and the depressed patients received treatment. Salivary ?-amylase (sAA) of the anxiety and depression patients group increased significantly compared to the control group (healthy people). There was a significant correlation between the scores of HARS and of HDRS to the level of sAA enzyme. Regression analysis indicated a potential increase of the sAA level in the amount of 5.673 kU/L per one score of HARS and one additional  score of HDRS also potentially increased in the amount of 0.925 kU/L of  the sAA enzyme level. Additionally, R² obtained from linear regression for anxiety patients group was 0.442 which meant that the effect of HARS score on sAA was 44.2% and 55.8% sAA rate was influenced by other variables. R² for depression patients group was 0.457 which meant that the effect of HDRS score to the level of sAA enzyme was 45.7 %  and 54.3 % was influenced by other variables.