A simple method to estimate the secretion of saliva from minor salivary glands using iodine-starch reaction

Objective/Hypothesis: This study was undertaken to detect the faculty of se cretion of saliva from minor salivary glands by analyzing a color reaction on a test tape containing iodine and starch that was applied on the lower l ip. Study Design: A study involving 63 patients with oral dryness, 7 patien ts with Sjogren syndrome, and 70 healthy individuals was performed, Methods : A test tape (1 x 1 cm) containing iodine and starch was set on the mucosa l area anterior to the labia frenulum for 30 seconds. Because the number of blue spots was considered to correspond to the number of ostia of the sali vary gland on the lower lip that was examined, the number of blue spots occ urring as a reaction of iodine and starch on the test tape was counted and was compared among three groups. In addition, the relationship between the histopathological findings and the number of spots was analyzed. Results: T he average number of spots in the patients with oral dryness (4.52 +/- 3.18 [mean +/- SD]) was lower than that in healthy individuals (9.49 +/- 2,52, P <.01), and that in the patients with Sjogren syndrome (2.14 +/- 1.35) was the lowest among all groups in the study. Moreover, this reduction in the number of spots in those patients was accompanied by histopathological chan ges of the minor salivary glands, Conclusion: These findings suggest that t his simple, noninvasive method can be successfully used for the estimation of the faculty of secretion of saliva from the minor salivary glands.