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. 2019 Feb;98(2):133-141.
doi: 10.1177/0022034518816961.

Role of Saliva and Salivary Diagnostics in the Advancement of Oral Health

C Dawes  1 , D T W Wong  2
Affiliations

Role of Saliva and Salivary Diagnostics in the Advancement of Oral Health

C Dawes et al. J Dent Res. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

The objective of this article was to provide an account of some of the developments related to saliva over the first 100 years of the Journal of Dental Research and to outline some of the many biomarkers identified in saliva in the last few years. The first section covers findings in salivary physiology, biochemistry, calcium phosphate chemistry related to saliva, microbiology, and the role of saliva in maintaining oral health. The second section highlights salivary diagnostics, salivaomics, and saliva exosomics in the context of the emerging theme of personalized and precision medicine.

Keywords: exosomics; parotid; proteomics; salivaomics; submandibular/sublingual; transcriptomics.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Collection device for parotid saliva: (A) a modern version of the Carlson-Crittenden device, which can be used for collection of parotid saliva from the left or right gland; (B) clinical collection of parotid fluid (courtesy of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Relative abundancies of protein and peptide species in human saliva. Reproduced from Ruhl (2012) by kind permission.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
A copy of Figure 1 from the article by Stephan (1944) shows the decrease and subsequent increase in plaque pH after a glucose rinse (the famous Stephan curve). Permission from the Journal of Dental Research.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Salivary biomarker development. CLIA, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; LDT, laboratory development test; PRoBE: prospective specimen collection and retrospective blinded evaluation.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
The exosome-mediated transfer of cancer-derived products from distal tumor to salivary gland. Cancer-derived exosomes enter the circulation and reach salivary glands. Exosome uptake at salivary gland acinar cells occurs via endocytosis or membrane fusion. Two salivary exosomes are released into saliva. Cancer-derived exosomes are released through exocytosis, while acinus-derived exosomes are released through fusion of multivesicular bodies with the plasma membrane. Both types of salivary exosomes carry cargos that include cancer-derived products. Permission from Elsevier.
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