To assess the available data and the place of salivary analysis in the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS).
A Medline search of English language articles published between 1985 and 1996 and a manual search of the reference lists of relevant articles formed the data sources. These were combined with our clinical and experimental experience in this field. Each method of salivary analysis was assessed according to study design, type of saliva used for the study, sensitivity/ specificity for the diagnosis of SS, and correlation to the histopathological findings.
Increased levels of salivary Na+, immunoglobulins (particularly IgA), anti-Ro and La antibodies, lactoferrin, lysozyme, beta 2 microglobulin, prostaglandin E2, thromboxane B2, interleukin-6, and hyaluronic acid have been detected in various studies. Results varied according to the different methods used for saliva collection.
Although many changes have been detected in various constituents of saliva in SS patients, no test has proved sensitive or specific enough for diagnosing SS.