Saliva clinical diagnosis. Review

Abstract

The dentist is called to become an important element in the development of studies phenotyping of populations to advance the implementation of personalized medicine and the reason is because saliva, which besides being a prerequisite for the preservation of oral functions fluid , is emerging with important qualities for clinical diagnosis with genetic basis. With the development of powerful laboratory techniques, such as immunoassay, electrophoresis, fluorescence, chromatography (HPLC and GC), mass spectrometry (MS), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genetic testing phenotyping, it has been correlate the presence of certain biomarkers of tissue damage in saliva levels of these species in blood. These biomarkers are signs of tissue damage or agency responses to these injuries, when not even be seen clinical evidence of it. This application saliva attaches special importance with regard to clinical diagnosis. The study of oral biomarkers has joined, more recently, the development of protocols for obtaining genomic DNA from saliva that allows for viability in sample collection, preservation of the same and facilities during transport, conduct population studies to determine the function of certain genes that are related to biotransformation of drugs, a major cause of differences among individuals to drug treatments. Knowledge of polymorphisms in genes that express enzymes that metabolize specific drugs can make changes or adjustments active principles in doses of individual treatments, which is the goal of personalized medicine or pharmacogenetics. These studies also provide insight into the genetic predisposition of populations to the development of certain diseases, both oral and systemic, which favors the establishment of new policies in the prophylaxis and preventive medicine. The use of saliva for this purpose opens new perspectives in care dental and requires interdisciplinary efforts and cooperation in the health team.