Serum and Salivary Levels of Glucose and Urea in Pregnant and Non-pregnant Women: A Comparative Study

Pregnancy is one of the most critical periods in the life of most women. Since it is necessary to be aware of the health of the mother and fetus, serum markers (i.e., glucose and urea) need to be monitored during pregnancy. A routine strategy in this area is venipuncture which is applied to measure the level of these markers. It is also a stressful procedure for pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to determine the salivary level of these markers as a stress-free method in pregnant women.

The samples were collected from 30 pregnant and 30 non-pregnant fasting women. Then, the serum and salivary levels of glucose and urea were measured, analyzed, and compared by photometry.

Results indicated that the mean salivary glucose level was 10.2±1.4 mg/dL and 6.4±0.9 mg/ dL in non-pregnant and pregnant women, respectively. In addition, the mean serum glucose level was 106.5±5.3 mg/dL and 82.9±4.5 mg/dL in non-pregnant and pregnant women, respectively. Further, the mean salivary urea level was 37.1±3.3 mg/dL in non-pregnant women and 27.1±1.9 mg/dL in pregnant women. Moreover, the mean serum urea level was 26.9±1.9 mg/dL and 19.5±2.3 mg/dL in non-pregnant and pregnant women, respectively.

Serum and salivary levels of glucose and urea in pregnant women were lower than those in non-pregnant women, and there was a positive correlation between serum and salivary levels. Therefore, it seems that saliva can be a substitute for serum regarding the measurement of glucose and urea levels.