The Emergence of Saliva as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Tool for Viral Infections

Abstract

Saliva has emerged as a promising diagnostic fluid for viral infections, enabling the direct analysis of viral genetic material and the detection of infection markers such as proteins, metabolites, microRNAs, and immunoglobulins. This comprehensive review aimed to explore the use of saliva as a diagnostic tool for viral infections, emphasizing its advantages and limitations. Saliva stands out due to its simplicity and safety in collection, along with the convenience of self-collection without the need for healthcare supervision, while potentially being comparable to urine and blood in terms of effectiveness. Herein, we highlighted the significant potential of saliva in assessing viral loads and diagnosing viral infections, such as herpesviruses, HPV, PyV, TTV, SARS-CoV-2, and MPXV. The detection of viral shedding in saliva underscores its utility in early diagnosis, the monitoring of infection progression, and evaluating treatment responses. The non-invasive nature of saliva collection makes it an appealing alternative to more invasive methods, promoting better patient compliance and facilitating large-scale screening and surveillance. As such, we further highlight current evidence on the use of saliva as a prognostic tool. Although a significant amount of data is already available, further investigations are warranted to more comprehensively assess the added benefit from the utilization of salivary biomarkers in the clinics. Salivary biomarkers show great promise for the early detection and prevention of viral infection complications, potentially improving disease management and control at the population level. Integrating these non-invasive tools into routine clinical practice could enhance personalized healthcare strategies and patient outcomes. Future studies should focus on establishing standardization protocols, validating the accuracy of salivary diagnostics, and expanding clinical research to enhance the diagnostic and monitoring capabilities of salivary biomarkers.