[Saliva protein composition: an approach to study biomarkers]

ABSTRACT

Saliva is multifunctional; it is a lubricant for speech, aide for food digestion, and protective against microorganisms. It is voluntarily accessible, composed of proteins and electrolytes, and is ideal for the early detection of a wide range of diseases. Because of a complex protein mixture, saliva proteomics has the potential to be a novel approach in the search for protein biomarkers. Most salivary proteomics research has been performed in academic institutions that study oral health. However, saliva offers a promising clinical strategy for characterizing the association between salivary protein markers and pancreatic cancer. In this review we focus on the protein composition of saliva as it represents an important field, both for the oral environment, as well as disease diagnosis and monitoring.