Saliva Testing Moves Into the Mainstream
(HealthDayNews, 2/18/05)

Oral fluids contain many of the same substances found in blood and urine. Now advancements in proteomics, the study of proteins found throughout the body, is making saliva testing more feasible for detecting the presence of disease, dental cavities and drugs. Scientists are refining ways to use saliva to identify illicit drug use and to test for biomarkers that indicate disease. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, for instance, report that they can detect genetic traces of pathogens, such as HIV, in saliva; while investigators at the University of Southern California have discovered molecules in oral fluids that help predict the risk of developing cavities. Saliva testing's advantage over urine or blood samples is that it is easier to collect.

(American Association for the Advancement of Science, news release, 2/17/05)