The variation of saliva composition in different physiological and pathological states is well demonstrated. Several saliva constituents (enzymes, hormones, antibodies, cytokines etc.) are up- or down-regulated in respect to benign, premalignant and malignant conditions in the oral cavity, and several patterns of deregulation are associated with specific disorders. Omics technologies have contributed significantly in the identification of alterations in gene expression, transcription, protein coding and small molecules concentration, in biologic systems. In this aspect, salivaomics integrate these technologies in saliva analysis and represent a novel and holistic approach in oral disease management including diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring. This review summarizes the current research in the discovery of biomarkers and molecular signatures with diagnostic or prognostic utility for oral diseases in saliva. The review also focuses on the emerging issues of the salivaomics technology and saliva diagnostics and the translational potential.
Keywords: Sjögren syndrome; biomarkers; dental carries; omics; oral diseases; oral squamous cell carcinoma; periodontitis; potentially malignant disorders; salivaomics.