Anjum A, Hosein M.
Diagnostic Importance of Saliva - an Overview.
J Pak Dent Assoc Jan ;28(3):129-35.

Saliva is an important and easily accessible bio-fluid having many diagnostic and prognostic applications. It serves as a window through which not only oral health but the overall systemic health status is determinable. Salivary biomarkers reveal a lot regarding disease risk, progress and resolution. Much research has been done in the past few decades on the diagnostic importance of biomarkers present in saliva. Minor bacterial infections to malignancies can manifest through saliva. Easy collection of saliva with a point-of-care facility facilitates both patients and clinicians in providing and collection of samples, respectively. This review highlights some of the essential diagnostic applications of saliva. Further researches can reveal more diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Studies have reported the successful applications of saliva in cardiovascular disease detection, renal diseases monitoring, drug level monitoring, forensic examinations, premalignant and malignant disorders detection and oral pathologies. Psychological stress, physically active individuals and incremental effort test have also been monitored by the help of salivary diagnostics.

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com