Saliva as a Diagnostic Fluid
Section snippets
Salivary diagnostics for systemic diseases
Historically, systemic diseases are diagnosed via (1) patient-reported symptoms, (2) examination and a medical history obtained by a physician or other medical professional, and (3) chemical analysis of blood and/or urine samples. The patient’s samples are typically sent to a remote, clinical diagnostic laboratory for determination of the levels of a broad series of markers including ions, antibodies, hormone levels, and a variety of disease-specific biomarkers. After some time (from minutes to
Salivary diagnostics of common oral diseases
The physicochemical and biochemical properties of saliva along with its complex composition endows this fluid with multiple functions, including: antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties; buffering capacity for plaque acids; digestive activity (amylase, protease, nuclease enzymes) needed for food mastication; mineralizing agents for protection and repair of hard tissues; lubricant and viscoelastic properties essential for the maintenance of oral health; and protective and repairing
Summary
Early studies attempting to use saliva as a diagnostic fluid were hampered by a lack of understanding of how these biomarkers enter saliva, the difficulty in detecting some markers owing to low levels in saliva as compared with serum, and lack of attention to the method of collection and storage of samples before analysis. These challenges have largely been met as a result of careful studies of salivary gland physiology, development of sensitive amplification methods (eg, ELISA, qRT-PCR), and
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the contribution of Dr William Abrams in preparing the figures and reviewing the manuscript.
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This work acknowledges NIH grants DE14964 and U19 DE18385, the New York State Office of Science and Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR), and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and Drs Lillian Shum and Isaac Rodriguez-Chavez for their continued support and helpful suggestions.