Saliva Aspartate Aminotransferase in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Precise and quick diagnosis of AMI is of main medical and pecuniary concerns. Objectives: The aim of this study was to detect saliva total aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity -as an available guideline- in patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: A case-control study was performed in 31 subjects as the control group and 31 ones as the AMI group. Saliva and serum total AST activities were measured in the first and second mornings following the AMI by IFCC method. Mann-Whitney U and Spearman rho tests were performed as statistical analyses. Results: AST activities in both serum and saliva in the resting and stimulated conditions were significantly greater in the AMI than the healthy controls (P < 0.05). Furthermore, serum AST showed a significant partial correlation with resting saliva AST in both first and second mornings following the AMI (rho = 0.368, P =0.017 and rho = 0.352, P = 0.024, respectively) and also with stimulated saliva AST (rho = 0.331, P = 0.034, rho = 0.443, P = 0.003, respectively). Conclusions: It presumes that saliva AST may be used as a biomarker in the patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction.