[Insulin, glucose, proteins and amylase in the saliva of obese children].

The authors examined the insulin, glucose, total protein concentrations and amylase activity in the saliva of normal (n = 7) and obese subjects (n = 14) before and after a meal. The variability of the values of the investigated parameters in different subjects is considerable. During repeated examinations of the same normal subjects after a prolonged time interval the responses under similar condition in saliva is 17.7 +/- 13.8 microU/ml, when the mean maximum in the 120th minute is 24.7 +/- +13.9 microU/ml. The glucose concentration is on average 2.1 +/- 1.3 mg/dl, total protein 279.5 +/- 53.2 mg/dl and the amylase activity 226 +/- 133 thousand U/l. In the dynamics of the investigated parameters in obese subjects the concentration of insulin and the other parameters are on average higher than the maximum insulin level in normal children, and in three obese children they were more than four or five times higher. The gradual progressive hypersecretion of insulin may thus imply a disposition for type II diabetes mellitus at a later age.