This review is a summary of the modern-day approach and recent trend in the determination of
uric acid in the saliva of humans and its use in diagnosis by clinicians.
Uric acid, which is the end product obtained from the breakdown of
purine nucleotides, is an important
biomarker associated with various conditions.
Uric acid is found in various body fluids, such as serum, plasma, and urine. It can be used as an important tool for various diseases, such as
gout and
hyperuricemia, or conditions that are associated with increased oxidative stress. Recently, there has been an emergence of studies that have utilized
uric acid concentrations measured in the saliva and studied its association with various diseases. Salivary
uric acid can prove to be a noninvasive method to provide a diagnosis of serious illness. A raised
uric acid level in the saliva can be associated with
cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (
HIV) infection,
gout, and
hypertension. A reduced level of salivary
uric acid on the other hand can be a marker for
Alzheimer's disease, progression of
multiple sclerosis, and impairment of cognition. Online search databases, including Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, were searched, and articles that were published before September 2021 based on salivary
uric acid analysis were analyzed for this review.
Uric acid is an essential
biomarker that has antioxidant properties. Assessment of salivary
uric acid levels was found to be essential in conditions such as
cancer,
metabolic syndrome, neurological conditions, psychiatric conditions, human immunodeficiency virus, and
gout and in monitoring treatment of
hyperuricemia. Although having importance in diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring, salivary
uric acid analysis has not gained enough popularity due to limitations such as saliva collection and sample processing issues. With proper education and standardization, salivary
uric acid analysis can be used as a cost-effective and noninvasive tool for getting a clue about
antioxidant biomarker concentration in saliva and hence various diseases associated with oxidative stress.