Salivary amylase in crevicular fluid.

Extrasulcular substances such as saliva, supragingival plaque and salivary sediment may be contaminants in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) collected with Periopaper. This report provides data obtained with salivary amylase as a marker for these substances in GCF. Amylase was a common constituent of GCF collected from sites with clinical health and with clinical signs of periodontitis. Rinsing the mouth with water reduced, but did not eliminate amylase in GCF. More frequent (p < 0.01) and greater (p < 0.001) contamination of GCF with amylase occurred in samples from periodontitis than from healthy subjects. The volume of saliva required to give the amylase in the GCF was calculated. This volume exceeded the GCF volume in 21% of samples collected without a water rinse. Thus, oral constituents other than saliva likely contribute to GCF amylase. Small quantities of plaque and salivary sediment (9.6 +/- 5.9, 3.4 +/- 2.0 micrograms protein) provided amylase from a saliva volume equal to the GCF volume in health (0.23 microliters). The above and other data presented here show that extrasulcular substances likely are frequent constituents of GCF collected with Periopaper. Reporting GCF constituents as quantities/sample appears least subject to error from the contamination by extrasulcular substances.