This article, found in a website for registered dental hygienists, goes into great detail about the wealth of information which can be found in saliva.
Saliva tests can also be used to aid in the diagnosis of such systemic diseases as Sjogren's syndrome, alcoholic cirrhosis, cystic fibrosis, sarcoidosis, diabetes mellitus, and adrenal cortex diseases.3 Microbiological testing of saliva can test DNA for detection in viruses such as the herpes virus associated with Kaposi"s sarcoma and HIV.3,11Researchers are investigating salivary testing for autoimmune disorders such as Sjogren's syndrome. Studies have shown that 87 proteins measured in serum and 75 proteins analyzed in saliva can be an indicator of Sjogren's syndrome.11 According to another study, saliva one day may replace blood in monitoring nutritional deficiencies in geriatric patients.11
The article goes onto speculate on new research which may be used to detect evidence of breast cancer and other carcinomas found in patient's saliva.
No comments:
Post a Comment