Salivary Alpha-Amylase
Alpha-Amylase (or α-Amylase) is a digestive enzyme that hydrolyses alpha-1,4 bonds of large polysaccharides such as starch and glycogen, yielding the smaller by-products of glucose and maltose. (1) Alpha amylase is synthesized in the acinar cells of the saliva glands and stored in secretory granules inside these cells. (2) Its release from the salivary cells […]
Salivary Aldosterone
Recent studies have shown that primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common cause of secondary hypertension with a prevalence of approximately 5-10% among all hypertensive patients and an even higher prevalence among selected patients with advanced stages of hypertension and resistant hypertension. (1) Screening for PA among hypertensive patients is important due to its association with risk […]
Salivary 17 Alpha-OHP
17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OH progesterone or 17OHP) is a steroid hormone produced in the adrenal gland and gonads. (1,2,3) It is synthesized from progesterone, and it serves primarily as a precursor compound that is converted into cortisol in the adrenal gland, or into androgenic and estrogenic steroid hormones in the gonads. (3,4) 17-OHP is routinely used for […]