Effect of salivary stimulation therapies on salivary flow and chemotherapy-induced mucositis: a preliminary study

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of salivary stimulation therapies on the salivary flow, oral mucositis, and salivary cytokine levels in patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Study Design Thirty-five eligible patients were randomized into 4 groups: control, mechanical sialogogue, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) sialogogue, and combined mechanical/electrical sialogogue. Saliva was collected from patients before transplantation and at days 3, 7, and 14 after transplantation. The volume was measured and salivary cytokines were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results By day 14, resting and stimulated salivary flow levels were diminished. Resting salivary flow rates decreased the most in the control and mechanical groups. In contrast, TENS alone or in combination with mechanical stimulatory therapy benefited the patients. TENS-treated patients showed increase in resting salivary flow. Also, the groups treated with TENS had fewer patients affected by grades 3 and 4 mucositis, and less mucositis was associated with better patient survival ( P = .027). Conclusions TENS-associated salivary stimulation therapies minimized the reduction of salivary flow and prevented severe chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis.