The diagnostic role of saliva - A Review

Abstract

As a diagnostic fluid, saliva offers distinctive advantages over serum because it can be collected non-invasively by individuals, even by patient. Does not require special equipment for collection and storage as unlike blood saliva does not clot. Advantageous for person in whom blood drawing is difficult as in obese and haemophilic patient. Whole saliva used for diagnosis of systemic diseases, because it contains serum constituents. These constituents are derived from the local vasculature of the salivary glands and gingival cervicular fluid.This review examines the diagnostic application of saliva for hereditary disorders, autoimmune diseases, malignant and infectious diseases, and endocrine disorders, as well as in the assessment of therapeutic levels of drugs and the monitoring of illicit drug use, and also for forensic evidence and others. . In future we are likely to see the increased utilization of saliva as a diagnostic fluid. As we enter the era of genomic medicine, sialochemistry will play an increasingly important role in the early detection, the monitoring and progression of the systemic and oral diseases.

The Salivary Bone Spesific Alkaline Phosphatase in Relation to Pubertal Growth Phase in Indonesian Children

“…Valuable for children, since collection of the fluid is associated with fewer compliance problems. Further, analysis of saliva may provide a cost-effective approach for the screening of large populations [15,16].…”

Update knowledge of dry mouth- A guideline for dentists

“…Lack of saliva can leave the mucosa (mucus membrane) of the mouth vulnerable to infections or decrease protection against other infections of the mouth such as thrush (yeast infection) (37-38). Hyposalivation makes reference to a decreased salivary flow and it is, therefore, an objective and measurable variable (39,40,41). Hyposalivation is considered to appear when salivary flow rates are under 0.1-0.2 mL/min (unstimulated) or 0.7 mL/min (stimulated).…”

Analysis of Salivary Flow, pH, Buffer Capacity, and Creatinine in Individuals Undergoing Hemodialysis

“…Salivary fluid composition may be affected by different forms of stimulation, time of day, diet, age, gender, a variety of disease conditions, and several pharmacological agents [17,23]. Whole saliva is a mixed fluid that is derived predominantly from major and minor salivary glands.…”

“…It may be used to predict when dialysis becomes necessary and also indicate progress of ESRD [16]. Since serum constituents may reach the saliva [17], the goal of this study was to quantify the salivary creatinine in patients with ESRD before, during, and after hemodialysis sessions. Thirty-four unrelated ESRD patients, (23 male and 11 female, age group 4-25 years, with more than 30 months of hemodialysis sessions at the Hospital Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba PR Brazil, formed the group one (G1).…”