Saliva in the diagnosis of diseases.

Chen-Zi Zhang,Ping Yi,Xin Xu,Xing-Qun Cheng,Xue-Dong Zhou,Ji-Yao Li,Ping Zhang

doi:10.1038/ijos.2016.38

Abstract

Saliva is secreted from the salivary glands and has multiple functions, including mouth cleaning and protection, antibacterial effects and digestion. With the rapid advancement in salivaomics, saliva is well recognized as a pool of biological markers. Saliva, as a non-invasive and safe source, could be a substitute for blood in the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases. This review summarizes the latest advancements in saliva-related studies and addresses the potential value of saliva in the early diagnosis of oral diseases, such as dental caries and periodontal disease, as well as cancer, diabetes and other systemic disorders. Saliva biomarkers range from changes in the biochemical indices of DNA, RNA and proteins to the diversification of microbiota structures. This study integrates data reported in the recent literature and discusses the clinical significance and prospects for the application of saliva in the early diagnosis of diseases, translational medicine and precision medicine.

Highlights

Saliva is a hypotonic solution of salivary acini, gingival crevicular fluid and oral mucosal exudates
This review summarizes the latest advancements in saliva-related studies and addresses the potential value of saliva in the early diagnosis of oral diseases, such as dental caries and periodontal disease, as well as cancer, diabetes and other systemic disorders
Saliva has multiple functions as follows: first, it helps to clean the mouth by washing away bacteria or food residues and freshening the breath; second, salivary amylase, a form of amylase in the saliva of human beings, catalyses the hydrolysis of starch into maltose and sometimes glucose in the mouth; third, lysozymes and thiocyanate ions in the saliva are bactericidal, making saliva an important part of the nonspecific immune system of humans; and fourth, saliva is secretory and contains risk factors for some diseases by excreting or transmitting KI, Pb and Hg, and viruses such as rabies, polio and human immune deficiency virus (HIV)