Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant neoplasm of the oral cavity. Detection of OSCC is currently based on thorough clinical oral examination combined with biopsy for histological analysis. Most cases of OSCC are not detected until the cancer has developed into advanced stages; thus, a reliable early stage diagnostic marker is needed. This literature review presents an overview of the status of current advances in salivary diagnostics for OSCC. Though many protein and mRNA salivary biomarkers have been identified that can detect OSCC with high sensitivity and specificity, the most discernable findings occur with the use of multiple markers. Studies that incorporate proteomic, transcriptomic, and potentially additional “omics”, including methylomics, need to be initiated to bring technology to clinical applications and allow the best use of saliva in diagnosing OSCC.

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Imagine a time where your health status could be available to you without the pain, discomfort and inconvenience of a physical examination. Distant vision of an inconceivable future or impending reality with potentially immeasurable impact? Recent advancements in the field of molecular diagnostics indicate this is not only possible, but closer than we think. Novel discoveries and substantial advancements have revealed that saliva may contain real-time information describing our overall physiological condition. Researchers are now reporting that, like blood and tissue biopsies, oral fluids could be a source of biochemical data capable of detecting certain diseases. What is even more intriguing is that this phenomenon not only applies to local disorders like oral cancer and Sjögren's syndrome, but distant pathologies like autoimmune, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases as well as viral/bacterial infections and even some cancers. These revelations have provided a foundation for the burgeoning field of salivary diagnostics and hence spurred the onset of investigations poised at deciphering the salivary milieu. This paper overviews salivary diagnostics from biomarker development to the multitude of techniques utilized in identifying saliva-based molecular indicators of disease. In doing so, we present oral fluids as an easily accessible noninvasive alternative to traditional diagnostic avenues and not just an essential component of the digestive process. Determining saliva as a credible means of evaluating health status represents a considerable leap forward in health care, one that could lead to enormous translational advantages and significant clinical opportunities.

Purpose This study evaluated the discriminatory power of salivary transcriptomic and proteomic biomarkers in distinguishing oral cancer (OSCC) cases from controls and potentially malignant oral disorders (PMOD). Experimental design A total of 180 samples (60 OSCC patients, 60 controls and 60 PMOD patients) were used in the study. Seven transcriptomic markers (IL-8, IL-1β, SAT1, OAZ1, DUSP1, S100P, H3F3A) were measured using quantitative real time PCR and two proteomic markers (IL-8 and IL-1β) were evaluated by ELISA. Results Among 7 transcriptomic markers, transcript level of DUSP1 was significantly lower in OSCC patients than in controls and PMOD patients. Between the proteomic markers, the protein concentration of IL-8 and IL-1β was significantly higher in OSCC patients than controls and dysplasia patients. Univariate fractional polynomial models revealed that salivary IL-8 protein has the highest AUC value between OSCC patients and controls (0.74) and between OSCC and PMOD patients (0.72). Applying a 2-markers fractional polynomial model, salivary IL-8 protein combined with IL-1β gave the best AUC value for discrimination between OSCC patients and controls, as well as the IL-8 protein combined with H3F3A mRNA gave the best AUC value for discrimination between OSCC and PMOD patients. Multivariate models analysis combining salivary analytes and risk factor exposure related to oral carcinogenesis formed the best combinatory variables for differentiation between OSCC vs PMOL (AUC=0.80), OSCC vs controls (AUC=0.87) and PMOD vs. controls (AUC=0.78). Conclusions Combination of transcriptomic and proteomic salivary markers is of great value for oral cancer detection and differentiation from PMOD patients and controls.

The presence of T. denticola seemed to increase salivary albumin and total protein concentrations, and GCF levels of MMP-8. Both T. denticola and T. forsythia seemed to induce a cascade of host response with increased MMP-8 in GCF.

This cross-sectional study showed that P. nigrescens and P. gingivalis were significantly associated with increased cIMA values.

The presence of subgingival micro-organisms in GCF, particularly T. denticola, appeared to induce a host response with an increased release of MMP-8 and MMP-9 in the test sites.

ObjectivesTo study whether the amount of dental plaque, which indicates poor oral hygiene and is potential source of oral infections, associates with premature death from cancer.DesignProspective cohort study.Participants1390 randomly selected healthy young Swedes followed up from 1985 to 2009. All subjects underwent oral clinical examination and answered a questionnaire assessing background variables such as socioeconomic status and smoking.Outcome measuresCauses of death were recorded from national statistics and classified according to the WHO International Classification of Diseases. Unpaired t test, χ2 tests and multiple logistic regressions were used.ResultsOf the 1390 participants, 4.2% had died during the follow-up. Women had died at a mean age of 61.0 (±2.6 SD) years and men at the age of 60.2 (±2.9 SD) years. The amount of dental plaque between those who had died versus survived was statistically significant (p<0.001). In multiple logistic regression analysis, dental plaque appeared to be a significant independent predictor associated with 1.79 times the OR of death (p<0.05). Age increased the risk with an OR of 1.98 (p<0.05) and gender (men) with an OR of 1.91 (p<0.05). The malignancies were more widely scattered in men, while breast cancer was the most frequent cause of death in women.ConclusionsThis study hypothesis was confirmed by showing that poor oral hygiene, as reflected in the amount of dental plaque, was associated with increased cancer mortality.