Salivary protein changes in response to acute stress in medical residents performing advanced clinical simulations: a pilot proteomics study.

CONTEXT: Quantitative changes of salivary proteins due to acute stress were detected.

OBJECTIVE: To explore protein markers of stress in saliva of eight medical residents who performed emergency medicine simulations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Saliva was collected before the simulations, after the simulations, and following morning upon waking. Proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), identified by mass spectrometry (MS), and relatively quantified by densitometry.

RESULTS: Salivary alpha-amylase and S-type cystatins significantly increased, while the ∼26 kDa and low-molecular weight (MW) (<10 kDa) SDS-PAGE bands exhibited changes after stress.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Alpha-amylase and cystatins are potential salivary markers of acute stress, but further validation should be performed using larger sample populations.