Saliva-based Hormone Diagnostics: advances, applications, and future perspectives.

Introduction: Saliva has emerged as an important biological fluid for diagnostics, particularly hormone analysis. Its noninvasive collection and accessibility make it a compelling alternative to traditional blood-based diagnostics, enabling detection of biomarkers reflecting physiological and pathological conditions.

Areas covered: This review examines hormones measurable in saliva, including cortisol, testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and others. It highlights methods such as Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Radioimmunoassay, and Liquid Chromatography coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for hormonal analysis, focusing on their sensitivity and challenges. The discussion addresses the advantages and limitations of saliva as a diagnostic medium, including practicality and susceptibility to external influences. Clinical applications are explored, including stress monitoring, hormonal dysfunction diagnosis, and applications in personalized medicine.

Expert opinion: Salivary diagnostics holds significant potential in clinical and research contexts, particularly for hormone analysis. Despite challenges such as hormonal variability and technical limitations, advances are steadily overcoming these barriers. The noninvasive and accessible nature of saliva collection positions it as a promising medium for diagnostic innovation. Continued research, coupled with standardization of techniques, will be critical to fully harnessing saliva-based diagnostics for advancing personalized medicine, influencing the detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of certain conditions.