Salivary biomarkers as indicators of occupational fatigue

Abstract

BackgroundTo properly manage fatigue, it is essential to employ reliable evaluation techniques with little workplace involvement.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of salivary biomarker analysis as a tool for assessing weariness.Methods32 workers (15 office employees and 17 industrial workers) were included in this research after meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria and receiving informed permission from the participants. The levels of fatigue was then assessed using salivary biomarker analysis kits and a hand dynamometer.ResultsExcept Grip Force (GF) at a significance level of 0.1 (p-value: 0.07), other variables had no significant alteration between two occupational groups. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and GF of both job groups had a non-significant downward trend, while the total thiol group (TTG) and lipid peroxides (LPO) of both groups demonstrated a non-significant upward trend. Biomarkers in saliva, such as total antioxidant capacity (TAC), Catalase (CAT), and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), can potentially be considered as differentiators of fatigue between cognitive and physical occupations.ConclusionsIn sub-maximal activities, such as occupational tasks, alterations in some biomarkers, including LPO and SOD, may effectively indicate signs of physical fatigue.Obviously, this is only a preliminary study, and subsequent research should be carried out to acertain these basic findings.

Keywords: biomarker; fatigue; lipid peroxides; oxidative stress; saliva; superoxide dismutase.