Saliva is identified as functional equivalent to serum, reflecting the physiological state of the body, as well as hormonal, emotional, nutritional and metabolic alterations. The application of mass spectrometry based approaches has allowed a thorough characterization of the saliva proteome and led to the discovery of putative biomarkers. Several salivary biomarkers have been recently explored as potentially useful screening tools in patients diagnosed with metabolic disorders. In this review, we provide an overview of saliva proteomics studies, with a focus on diabetes, and we explore the evidence for the utility of well identified markers for the diagnosis and monitoring of the disease. Emerging approaches in salivary diagnostics that may significantly advance the field of diabetes research are also highlighted.
Keywords: Diabetes; Point-of-care technology; Proteomics; Saliva.
Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.