[Production and concentration of saliva and salivary amylase in obese children].

The objective of the present study was to study the profile of salivary amylase in obese children. The study was conducted on 58 children, 29 of whom were identified as obese (obese group) and 29 as non-obese (control group). The parameters for the assignment to the two groups studied were the W/H ratio of the NCHS and the tricipital skinfold. The children in the obese group presented percentiles of 90 or more for both curves. Saliva was collected after chemical stimulation with lemon juice using a standardized technique. The weight of secreted saliva and the concentration and total production of salivary amylase over a period of five minutes were determined in the samples collected. The results demonstrated that, among the control children, amylase concentration and total production were significantly higher in boys than in girls. Among the obese children, boys presented significantly higher salivary secretion than girls. Obese boys presented a significantly lower amylase concentration compared to control, a fact that was not observed for girls. Total salivary amylase production was not reduced among obese boys, suggesting that the decreased enzyme concentration in obese subjects is compensated for by greater salivary secretion.