Evaluation of salivary biomarkers for early diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review

• Published in: Discover Medicine Vol. 2; no. 1
• Main Authors: Keyvanpour, Sogol, Daneshvar, Mojtaba, Mirshahi, Arvin, Mokhtari, Melika, Ebrahimi, Elham
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 14.01.2025
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Medicine/Public Health; Review; Gestational diabetes mellitus; Biomarkers; GDM; Salivary; Saliva
• ISSN: 3004-8885; 3004-8885
• DOI: 10.1007/s44337-025-00198-9

Background Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) poses significant health risks for both mothers and infants, necessitating accurate and timely diagnosis. Current diagnostic methods involve invasive blood tests, but salivary biomarkers may offer a non-invasive alternative. This scoping review aims to summarize the available evidence on the diagnostic potential of salivary biomarkers for GDM. Methods A systematic search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases up to January 1, 2024, using the keywords "Gestational diabetes" and "saliva." The review included observational studies that compared salivary biomarkers between women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Multiple independent reviewers performed screening, quality assessment, and data extraction. The extracted data included author names, publication year, country of study, study design, diagnostic method for GDM, number of cases and controls, markers studied, summary of findings, and conclusions. Results From a total of 853 records identified through the database search, nineteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies were cross-sectional (N = 13, 68%) and were conducted in Turkey (N = 13, 47%). The salivary biomarkers investigated included oxidative markers (N = 13, 47%), inflammatory markers (N = 6, 32%), and adipokines (N = 5, 26%). The studies consistently demonstrated elevated levels of certain biomarkers in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), including Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), Malondialdehyde (MDA), inflammatory factors like Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and adipokines such as chemerin and resistin. Conclusion Salivary biomarkers hold promise for the early detection of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to validate these findings and refine diagnostic approaches.