Projects

ABSTRACT Introduction: Cigarette smoking is associated with numerous diseases and constitutes a serious challenge to the current healthcare system worldwide. The effect of smoking on endocrine function documents that, smoking have multiple effects on hormone secretion including effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Cortisol is the major glucocorticoid which activates the response of the body to stress conditions. The direct acute effect of smoking on cortisol levels have been attributed to activation of central nicotinic receptors. Nicotine stimulates hypothalamic cholinergic receptors leading to a release of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) which in turn stimulates ACTH secretion from pituitary. ACTH hormone enters the blood stream acts on the adrenal glands, causing them to produce cortisol. Expression of cortisol in saliva may reflect HPA axis adaption to stress. With the above background this study was taken to estimate the salivary cortisol level as a stress biomarker in tobacco smokers. Material and methods: This study was undertaken with a total sample size of 80 male patients, with an age range of 18 to 70 years. The selected subjects were divided into 2 groups: Group I (Control group) and Group II (study group). Saliva was collected from the patients (7.am to 8.a.m.) to estimate salivary cortisol. The obtained data was subjected to statistical analysis using independent Student’s T -test which was used to compare the distribution of age, duration of smoking and number of cigarettes used per day in Group II . Pearson correlation co-efficient was used for comparison of salivary cortisol and stress score in Group I and Group II. Results: The mean salivary cortisol level observed in study group (0.60 ) was high when compared to control group( 0.28). The mean stress score observed was high in Study Group (28.7) when compared to Control Group (18.7). The correlation coefficient of salivary cortisol level and stress score observed in Study group (0.332) was high when compared to Control group (0.457). The observed difference was found to be highly statistically significant. Conclusion: This study advocates the use of salivary cortisol level as a stress biomarker in tobacco smokers.