Saliva as Biomarker for Oral and Chronic Degenerative Non-Communicable Diseases

Saliva is a very complex fluid and it is essential to maintain several physiological processes and functions, including oral health, taste, digestion and immunological defenses. Saliva composition and the oral microbiome can be influenced by several factors, like diet and smoking habits, and their alteration can represent an important access point for pathogens and, thus, for systemic illness onset. In this review, we explore the potentiality of saliva as a new tool for the early detection of some pathological conditions, such as oral diseases, chronic degenerative non-communicable diseases, among these chronic kidney disease (CKD). We also examined the possible correlation between oral and systemic diseases and oral and gut microbiota dysbiosis. In particular, we deeply analyzed the relationship between oral diseases and CKD. In this context, some salivary parameters can represent a new device to detect either oral or systemic pathologies. Moreover, the positive modulation of oral and gut microbiota induced by prebiotics, postbiotics, or symbiotics could represent a new possible adjuvant therapy in the clinical management of oral diseases and CKD.

Automated summary

Saliva is a complex fluid that plays a crucial role in various physiological processes and functions, including oral health, taste, digestion, and immunological defenses. The composition of saliva and the oral microbiome can be influenced by factors such as diet and smoking habits, and changes in these factors can lead to the development of systemic illnesses. This review explores the potential of saliva as a new tool for early detection of conditions such as oral diseases and chronic non-communicable diseases, including chronic kidney disease. The correlation between oral and systemic diseases as well as oral and gut microbiota dysbiosis is also examined. Salivary parameters could serve as a new device for detecting oral and systemic pathologies, and modulating oral and gut microbiota through prebiotics, postbiotics, or symbiotics may offer a new approach for managing oral diseases and chronic kidney disease.