Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Serum Alpha- 1- Antitrypsin, Serum and Salivary Calcium Levels in Sudanese Cigarette Smokers.

Abstract

A prospective study conducted during the period June 2006 to April 2007, compared serum levels of alpha-1-antitrypsin, serum and salivary calcium of 50 apparently healthy cigarette smokers and 50 apparently healthy individuals (non-smokers) as a comparison group, both controls and cigarette smokers were chosen randomly from the teaching staff, students and employees of the University of Medical Sciences and Technology. There is a significant increase in the levels of serum and salivary calcium and a significant decrease in the levels of serum α1-antitrypsin in cigarette smokers compared to the control (P<0.05). Mean ± SD for controls versus cigarette smokers: (3.56 ± 1.07) versus (11.54 ± 2.26) mg/dl, for salivary calcium. (9.02 ± 0.50) versus (10.61 ± 0.97) mg/dl, for serum calcium. (3.20 ± 0.52) versus (2.46 ± 0.76) g/l, for serum α1-antitrypsin. In this study, I concluded that cigarette smoking reduces the levels of serum alpha -1- antitrypsin and there is a negative correlation with both; the number of cigarettes smoked per day, and the duration of smoking in years. Moreover, cigarette smoking increases the levels of serum and salivary calcium and there is a positive correlation with both; the number of cigarettes smoked per day, and the duration of smoking in years.