Kumaraguru Mahalakshmi, Chellappa Lalitha Rani, I Meignana Arumugham, Jayaraman Selvaraj
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Saveetha Dental College & Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND.
Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College & Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND.
Cureus. 2023 Sep 27;15(9):e46065. doi: 10.7759/cureus.46065. eCollection 2023 Sep.
Background Transgender individuals in India experience immense psychosocial stressors, stigma, and violence. In response to stress, the body exhibits adaptive responses that necessitate the production of organic chemicals ensuing in the detection of blood serum and saliva. There are currently no laboratory tests that are confirmatory for the diagnosis of stress and facilitate necessary treatment to be carried out in a timely manner. Thus, potential salivary biomarkers could be a helpful tool in overseeing the efficacy of pharmacological treatment prescribed by a psychiatrist. Aim This study aimed to assess the correlation between perceived stress and salivary stress biomarker levels in transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals in Chennai, India. Methodology Twenty-two TGNC individuals and 22 age-matched controls in Chennai were administered the Perceived Stress Scale-10 questionnaire. Following this, their saliva samples were collected using the passive drool technique and subjected to sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique for measuring salivary cortisol, salivary tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and salivary C-reactive protein (CRP). Independent t-test was used to compare salivary stress biomarker levels between the TGNC and age-matched control groups. Pearson's correlation test was done to correlate perceived stress and salivary stress biomarker levels in the TGNC group. Results Significant difference was seen between the TGNC and control groups with respect to salivary cortisol and salivary TNF-alpha levels, with the levels being higher in the TGNC group. A significant positive correlation was seen between perceived stress and salivary cortisol and between perceived stress and salivary TNF-alpha levels. Conclusion There is a significant correlation between perceived stress and salivary biomarkers of stress among TGNC people in Chennai.
背景
印度的跨性别者面临着巨大的心理社会压力源、耻辱感和暴力。作为对压力的反应，身体会表现出适应性反应，这需要产生有机化学物质，从而在血清和唾液检测中有所体现。目前尚无用于确诊压力并促进及时进行必要治疗的实验室检测方法。因此，潜在的唾液生物标志物可能是监测精神科医生所开药物治疗效果的有用工具。
目的
本研究旨在评估印度钦奈跨性别和性别不一致（TGNC）个体的感知压力与唾液压力生物标志物水平之间的相关性。
方法
钦奈的22名TGNC个体和22名年龄匹配的对照组接受了感知压力量表-10问卷调查。在此之后，使用被动流涎技术收集他们的唾液样本，并采用夹心酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）技术测量唾液皮质醇、唾液肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）和唾液C反应蛋白（CRP）。使用独立t检验比较TGNC组和年龄匹配对照组之间的唾液压力生物标志物水平。对TGNC组的感知压力与唾液压力生物标志物水平进行Pearson相关性检验。
结果
TGNC组和对照组在唾液皮质醇和唾液TNF-α水平方面存在显著差异，TGNC组的水平更高。在感知压力与唾液皮质醇之间以及感知压力与唾液TNF-α水平之间存在显著正相关。
结论
钦奈的TGNC人群中，感知压力与唾液压力生物标志物之间存在显著相关性。
