Abstract

Scleroderma or systemic sclerosis (SSc) is frequently detected at an advanced stage due to diagnosis difficulties. Salivary biomarkers, if existing, could be used for predictive diagnosis of this disease. Human saliva contains a large number of proteins that can be used for diagnosis and are of great potential in clinical research. The use of proteomic analysis to characterize whole saliva (WS) in SSc has gained an increasing attention in the last years and the identification of salivary proteins specific for SSc could lead to early diagnosis or new therapeutic targets. This review will present an overview about the use of WS in SSc studies. The proteomic technologies currently used for global identification of salivary proteins in SSc, as well as the advantages and limitations for the use of WS as a diagnostic tool, will be presented.

Highlights

  • Scleroderma or systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare systemic autoimmune disease affecting the connective tissue and characterized by involvement of the skin, blood vessels, and visceral organs

  • A number of proteomics researches contributed to the clarification and knowledge of the salivary proteome, and more than 2000 proteins and peptides have been found in whole saliva (WS) and individual salivary glands [15]

  • The specific salivary markers identified so far were reported by Giusti et al [14] in a study including 15 patients with diffuse cutaneous scleroderma (dcSSc), in which they compared the differences between WS of SSc patients and control subjects

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Scleroderma or systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare systemic autoimmune disease affecting the connective tissue and characterized by involvement of the skin, blood vessels, and visceral organs. It is associated with dysfunction of the immune cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. The medications and fibrotic changes in salivary glands of patients with SSc can contribute to reduced salivary flow in these patients [9]. The proteomic technologies currently used for global identification of salivary proteins in SSc, as well as the BioMed Research International advantages and limitations for the use of WS in the disease, will be presented

Whole Saliva
Applications of Whole Saliva for Systemic Sclerosis Study
Salivary Proteins in Systemic Sclerosis
Findings
Advantages and Limitations
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call