Currently, the number of people suffering from obesity is increasing worldwide. In addition, the disease is affecting younger individuals. Therefore, it is essential to search for new diagnostic methods and markers for early assessment of the risk of obesity, metabolic disorders, and other comorbidities. The discovery of the secretory function of adipose tissue and coexistence of low-grade chronic inflammation with obesity set a new direction in this disease diagnosis using the assessment of the concentration of inflammatory markers secreted by adipose tissue. The aim of this review was to determine, based on previous findings, whether saliva can be useful in the diagnosis of obesity and its early metabolic complications and whether it can be an alternative diagnostic material to serum.
Keywords: adipokines; cytokines; obesity diagnostics; obesity markers; saliva.