Features of oxidative stress markers in mixed saliva of patients with substance use disorders: An observational controlled study

Background. Laboratory monitoring and predicting are potential diagnostic tools for assessing the possible outcome of rehabilitation for patients with substance use disorder. The most promising indicators are considered to be those of the biochemical response to psychoactive substance use, including biomarkers of oxidative stress in mixed saliva.

Objective. To feature changes in oxidative stress markers in mixed saliva of patients with psychoactive substance and alcohol use disorder during the recovery phase.

Methods. The study was designed as an observational controlled study involving generally healthy men (Group 1, n = 20) admitted to the Clinic of Kuban State Medical University, patients with psychostimulant substance use disorder (Group 2, n = 20), and patients with alcohol use disorder (Group 3, n = 20). Group 2 and 3 patients had rehabilitation at the Narcological Dispensary No. 1 of the Ministry of Health of the Krasnodar Krai from March 2023 to November 2024. At the initial stage of rehabilitation and after 3 months, mixed saliva and venous blood were sampled to determine total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase activity, glutathione peroxidase activity, and glutathione concentration. The data obtained were processed using AnalystSoft Inc. StatPlus software (Version 7). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc comparisons using Tukey’s criterion was used to compare the indicators. Statistically significant differences between the values of the indicators for the groups were accepted at p < 0.05.

Results. In the rehabilitation phase, mixed saliva analysis of patients with substance use disorders revealed an imbalance in oxidative homeostasis. Both groups of patients initially exhibited reduced total antioxidant activity and high activity of antiradical defense enzymes. After rehabilitation, both blood and mixed saliva had tendencies toward normalization of antioxidant activity, with a sharp decrease in superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity. Mixed saliva oxidative stress markers correlated positively and statistically significantly with similar blood markers: total antioxidant capacity R = 0.35–0.46, superoxide dismutase activity R = 0.51–0.46, glutathione peroxidase activity R = 0.83 for Group 2 and 3 patients.

Conclusion. Mixed saliva oxidative stress markers can be used to develop algorithms for laboratory monitoring and predicting the rehabilitation of patients with psychoactive substance use disorder.

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