2023 · Diseases of the esophagus : official journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus · paywalled
Diagnostic thresholds and optimal collection protocol of salivary pepsin for gastroesophageal reflux disease
Ma et al.
The finding, in our words
This study externally validated salivary pepsin as a noninvasive diagnostic for gastroesophageal reflux disease, with 20 adults self-collecting saliva across fasting, post-prandial and bedtime time points over four days, using endoscopy and wireless pH monitoring as reference standards to determine optimal collection protocols and diagnostic thresholds.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
Saliva samples collected using the OMNIgene ORAL device and oral wash samples remain stable for microbiome diversity and relative abundance analyses for up to five years when stored at -80°C. This supports the use of these self-collection methods for long-term prospective biobanking and decentralised clinical studies.
Single unstimulated whole saliva measurements show high physiological variability, but averaging repeated self-collected samples, particularly in the evening, improves diagnostic reliability. This validation supports the implementation of home-based saliva testing for salivary gland dysfunction.
This study validated a low-cost 3D-printed smartphone attachment and paper sensor for measuring glucose, uric acid and cholesterol in saliva, demonstrating high correlation with standard ELISA results in a small clinical cohort. The authors suggest this platform offers a scalable solution for decentralised diabetes management by balancing sensitivity with affordability.
Using a synthetic swab for saliva collection gave results closest to no swab for both resting and stimulated samples, indicating minimal pre-analytical interference. The widest metabolite coverage was achieved with ACN:MeOH at 1:1 v/v and a ZIC-HILIC column for polar metabolites plus a C18 column for non-polar metabolites, and resting versus stimulated saliva yielded distinct metabolic profiles that may provide complementary clinical insights.
The study found that self-collected dried saliva on FishburneTabs achieved 92% accuracy for viral RNA detection compared to standard liquid saliva samples. This method supports decentralised testing by enabling reliable sample storage and transport for upper respiratory infections.