Saliva in Health and Disease: The Present and Future of a Unique Sample for Diagnosis

Saliva as a unique sample for health assessment is gaining  attention among researchers of different fields in the last 20 years;  being reflected in an impressive increase in the number of papers  published studying saliva from different biological aspects in human and  veterinary species. Once deemed merely a digestive juice is now  considered a biological fluid capable of communicating information about  physiopathological processes occurring in organisms, since saliva has  been shown to contain molecular and bacterial compounds that can change  in response to local and systemic pathologies. Furthermore, the interest  of saliva as a diagnostic, prognostic and monitoring biofluid is forced  by its non-invasive nature being of easy and inexpensive sampling,  involving only minimal discomfort and allowing the collection of  multiple/repeated specimens at anytime, anywhere and without need for  specialized staff.

In this contributed volume,  the authors bring together, summarize and reflect the generated  knowledge about saliva as a source of biomarkers for health and welfare  evaluation in humans and animal models. This volume also highlights the  importance of confounding factors, such as sampling methods, flow, total  protein content, contamination, or storage. This book will serve as a  manual for graduates, practitioners and researchers by providing general  ideas about the possibilities and utilities of saliva in clinical  practice or investigation, and indicating the main cautions each should  have in mind before saliva usage.