Search Results (1,785)

Background/Objectives: Older adults residing in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are at increased risk of poor oral health because of functional dependence and limited access to professional oral healthcare. Although oral healthcare education programs for care workers improve knowledge and performance, evidence of their effects on residents’ biological oral health outcomes remains limited. This study evaluated the effects of a care worker-centered oral healthcare program on oral inflammatory status in LTCF residents using salivary interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) as an objective biomarker. Methods: A single-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental study was conducted in two LTCFs in the Republic of Korea. Forty care workers completed a structured oral healthcare education program and provided daily oral healthcare to residents for 4 weeks. Saliva samples were collected before and after the intervention, and salivary IL-1β concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Changes in IL-1β concentrations were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Results: Thirty-seven residents completed the study. Median salivary IL-1β concentrations significantly decreased from 19.33 pg/mL (interquartile range [IQR], 11.49–34.66) at baseline to 10.78 pg/mL (IQR, 0.65–33.64) after the intervention (Z = −3.764, p = 0.001). Greater reductions were observed among residents with greater functional dependence, whereas limited communication ability or oral care refusal was associated with minimal improvement. Conclusions: A care worker-centered oral healthcare program significantly reduced salivary IL-1β concentrations among older adults residing in LTCFs. Findings support care worker training and highlight the use of salivary IL-1β as an objective biomarker for evaluating oral healthcare interventions. Full article

Lying behaviour reflects cattle welfare response. This study aimed to investigate changes in salivary profiles and production variables based on lying time in dairy cows to identify potential biomarkers of rest-related changes. Over a three-month period, lying time was monitored in 15 healthy commercial dairy cows using accelerometric collars. Saliva samples were analyzed for relevant biomarkers. The LMM showed that salivary cortisol (β = 0.481, 95% CI: 0.204–0.758, p = 0.001) and total adenosine deaminase (tADA, β = 0.011, 95% CI: 0.005–0.017, p < 0.001) were positively associated with daily lying time, whereas creatinine kinase (CK) was negatively associated with daily lying time (β = −0.015, 95% CI: −0.030 to −0.001, p = 0.035). Metabolic stress can drive cows to prioritize lying, revealing a coping response to sub-optimal welfare. Increased salivary tADA reflects inflammatory conditions that alter animal behaviour by enhancing lying time. Increasing CK indicates muscle tissue injury, and physical strain may be due to acute restlessness or sustained standing. The findings suggest that changes in lying behaviour may be associated with changes in salivary analytes. The results are encouraging but require validation in larger and more diverse populations before routine application in dairy welfare assessment. Full article

Early cancer detection can expand treatment options and improve patient survival, but it requires tests that can be repeated with minimal patient burden. Urine and saliva can be collected non-invasively and may contain cancer-associated nucleic acids, proteins, and extracellular vesicles. Clinical analysis of these body fluids is complicated by low biomarker abundance, inter-individual variation, and matrix components that interfere with surface-based sensing. Plasmonic nanoarray biosensors address some of these analytical constraints by concentrating local electromagnetic fields, supporting multiplexed optical readout, and accommodating surface chemistry and microfluidic handling. This review examines nanoarray architectures, fabrication methods, surface functionalization, and signal generation for cancer-associated biomarkers in urine and saliva. Localized surface plasmon resonance, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and metal-enhanced fluorescence are discussed together with applications to bladder, prostate, pancreatic, oral, and head-and-neck cancers. Remaining barriers include biofouling, pre-analytical variation, fabrication reproducibility, limited validation using authentic biofluids, and incomplete sample-to-answer integration. Addressing these challenges through standardized biofluid processing, scalable nanoarray fabrication, and integrated microfluidic platforms will be essential for translating plasmonic nanoarray biosensors into clinically applicable cancer screening tools. Full article

Continuous glucose monitoring has established that a molecular signal can be repeatedly measured in daily life and translated into clinically meaningful action. The next frontier is broader: wearable biosensors that monitor metabolites, electrolytes, hormones, drugs, nutrients, inflammatory markers, and tissue-state indicators beyond glucose. This review proposes an artificial intelligence (AI)-ready framework for multimodal wearable biochemical monitoring. We organize the field as a complete measurement chain that links biofluid access, sampling chronology, flexible biointerfaces, molecular recognition, signal conditioning, metadata capture, sensor fusion, clinical validation, and lifecycle governance. The central argument is that the clinically useful variable is rarely a raw current, potential, optical intensity, or spectrum; it is a quality-controlled, context-aware, and uncertainty-aware digital biomarker. We compare sweat, interstitial fluid, saliva, tears, wound exudate, and breath condensate; evaluate enzymatic, ion-selective, affinity, transistor, optical, and spectroscopic sensing strategies; synthesize representative high-impact studies; and define minimum metadata, validation metrics, and translation gates. The review highlights recurring gaps in biofluid validity, real-world robustness, reference-comparator alignment, subgroup evidence, and algorithmic governance. We conclude with practical design rules for converting flexible biochemical wearables from attractive prototypes into clinically credible intelligent biosensing systems. Full article

Titanium-based implants remain among the most successful biomaterials in modern dentistry, but accumulating evidence demonstrates that titanium is not biologically inert under long-term physiological conditions. Mechanical loading, tribocorrosion, acidic and oxidative microenvironments, and biofilm-driven electrochemical processes contribute to progressive surface degradation and the release of titanium ions, microparticles, and nanoparticles into surrounding tissues and biological fluids. The present narrative review synthesizes current evidence regarding the mechanisms of titanium release from dental implant surfaces, the biodistribution of degradation-derived species across local and systemic biological compartments, and the analytical methodologies used to detect and characterize them. Mechanisms of electrochemical corrosion, tribocorrosion, and nanoparticle generation are critically discussed alongside biofilm-mediated acceleration of surface degradation. The biological matrices in which titanium has been measured—including peri-implant tissues, peri-implant crevicular fluid, saliva, blood, regional lymph nodes, and distant organs—are reviewed with attention to the methodologies employed (ICP-MS, SP-ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS, SEM-EDS, TEM, XRF, and synchrotron-based approaches) and their respective strengths and limitations. Methodological heterogeneity in implant characterization, sample preparation, contamination control, and discrimination between ionic and particulate species is identified as a major source of inconsistency across the current literature. The biological consequences of titanium dissemination—including oxidative, immunological, microbiome-associated, and systemic responses—are addressed in detail in a companion review. Together, these analyses are intended to support the design of more rigorous, integrated, and clinically translatable investigations of implant-associated biomaterial degradation. Full article

Purpose: Acute exercise elicits coordinated neuroendocrine and autonomic responses that are strongly influenced by exercise modality and intensity. While cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase are widely used as peripheral indicators of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system activation, respectively, salivary orexin remains an exploratory biomarker whose relationship with central orexinergic activity is not yet fully established, particularly in response to different exercise conditions. This study aimed to compare the acute salivary responses of orexin, alpha-amylase, and cortisol following distinct exercise modalities characterized by different physiological loads. Methods: A repeated-measures design was employed in a sample of physically active young women. Each participant completed four experimental sessions: high-intensity interval training (HIIT), combined exercise (CE), moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), and yoga. Saliva samples were collected at baseline (T0), immediately post-exercise (T1), and during early recovery (T2 and T3). Biomarker concentrations were analyzed to assess temporal dynamics and modality-dependent differences. Results: All biomarkers showed modality-dependent responses. HIIT elicited the most pronounced increases in alpha-amylase and cortisol, reflecting robust sympathetic and HPA axis activation, whereas CE and MICT induced more moderate responses. Yoga was associated with minimal changes across all biomarkers. Orexin displayed a graded response across the exercise modalities, with higher post-exercise levels observed following HIIT compared to lower-intensity conditions. Temporal analyses revealed distinct kinetic profiles, with alpha-amylase peaking rapidly in the early post-exercise phase, whereas cortisol exhibited a more delayed response. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that acute salivary responses of orexin, alpha-amylase, and cortisol are strongly modulated by exercise modality, supporting the importance of an integrated, multi-biomarker approach to characterize the physiological response to exercise. The inclusion of salivary orexin provides exploratory information on a potentially relevant arousal- and energy-regulation-related pathway, complementing established peripheral markers of autonomic and endocrine activation. This integrated perspective may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of exercise-induced stress responses in young women. Full article

Background: The Investigator Quantiplex Pro RGQ Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) enables rapid quantification of total human and male DNA on the Rotor-Gene Q platform while simultaneously assessing PCR inhibition, DNA degradation, and mixed DNA profiles. This study evaluated whether reducing the recommended qPCR reaction volume by half affects analytical performance, with the aim of improving throughput and reducing reagent costs in forensic laboratories. Methods: Control DNA (50 ng/µL) and DNA extracted from 20 simulated forensic samples representing common forensic evidence (including bloodstains, semen stains, saliva samples, vaginal swabs, touch DNA, hair roots, and mixed biological traces deposited on different substrates) were analyzed using standard and half-volume qPCR reactions with identical reagent proportions. Quantification and quality indices—including inhibition (IC), degradation (DI), and mixture (MI)—were evaluated using Q-Rex software. Ct values, ΔCt, and standard deviations were compared between protocols using paired statistical analysis, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Standard curves generated under both reaction conditions showed efficient amplification, with R² values > 0.998 and slopes within recommended ranges. Control samples demonstrated strong agreement between expected and measured DNA concentrations for both protocols. Although forensic samples displayed variable DNA quantity and quality, highly concordant results were obtained between standard and reduced volumes. Mean Ct values showed minimal ΔCt variation and low dispersion across all sample types. IC, DI, and MI indices were also consistent, indicating reliable detection of inhibition, degradation, and mixed DNA profiles under reduced-volume conditions. Conclusions: Half-volume qPCR reactions using the Investigator Quantiplex Pro RGQ Kit maintained accurate, precise, and reproducible DNA quantification and quality assessment. Reduced-volume protocols may therefore provide a cost-effective strategy to increase throughput and improve workflow efficiency in forensic laboratories without compromising analytical robustness. Full article

Women with endometriosis experience chronic cyclic pelvic pain (CCPP) or chronic persistent pelvic pain (CPPP), both of which may be incapacitating even after treatment. Emotional dysregulation in endometriosis impedes patient recovery. This study evaluated the relationships among emotional state, pain perception, and inflammatory biomarkers (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in women with endometriosis presenting with CCPP or CPPP. An exploratory, observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, comparative with repeated sampling study was conducted with 52 women diagnosed with endometriosis and experiencing either CPPP or CCPP. Participants completed a psychometric battery including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Pain perception was assessed using the Wong–Baker Pain Rating Scale (FACES). Saliva samples were collected at baseline, during stressor and recovery phases, and concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were determined by ELISA. Fifty-two women with endometriosis were included (CPPP: n = 33; CCPP: n = 19). No significant between group differences were observed in emotional state (HADS: p = 0.682; BDI: p = 0.842), anxiety (STAI-State: p = 0.086; STAI-Trait: p = 0.615), general distress (GHQ-30: p = 0.730), or pain intensity (FACES: p = 0.705). The prevalence of depressive symptoms did not differ between groups (CPPP: 69.7% vs. CCPP: 73.7%; χ² = 0.093, p = 0.760). Salivary cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) were comparable between groups across all measurement conditions. Spearman correlations revealed uncorrected significance between TNF-α and emotional distress: basal TNF-α correlated inversely with HADS (ρ = −0.292, p = 0.031) and BDI (ρ = −0.278, p = 0.041); TNF-α under stress correlated with HADS (ρ = −0.329, p = 0.014) and GHQ-30 (ρ = −0.271, p = 0.046); and TNF-α during recovery correlated with GHQ-30 (ρ = −0.363, p = 0.006). These findings indicate that CPPP and CCPP were not associated with statistically significant differences in emotional states or salivary cytokine profiles at the group level. Exploratory pos hoc analyses suggested that pain pattern may moderate the association between TNF-α and psychological burden, particularly in the CCPP subgroup; however, these findings require confirmation in larger studies with prespecified analyses. Exploratory analyses suggested patterns between salivary inflammation and psychological burden; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously because of the small subgroup size, multiple comparisons, and lack of a matched healthy control group. Full article

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based biosensors have emerged as promising platforms for non-invasive biofluid analysis because of their high electrical conductivity, large surface area, tunable optical properties, and versatile surface chemistry, enabling miniaturized, flexible sensing devices. Sweat, saliva, tears, and urine are increasingly recognized as attractive alternatives to blood for point-of-care diagnostics because they enable repeated, non-invasive sampling while containing clinically relevant metabolites, electrolytes, proteins, hormones, nucleic acids, pathogens, and other biomarkers. However, the low abundance of many analytes, matrix complexity, biofouling, and biofluid-specific variability present significant analytical challenges. This review critically examines the different CNT-based sensor architectures, and their recent advances in non-invasive analysis of sweat, saliva, tears, and urine. It integrates sensor architecture, biofluid-specific analytical challenges, sample-validation level, and translational readiness within a single comparative framework. Representative applications are discussed for metabolic monitoring, renal health assessment, infectious disease testing, and other clinically relevant uses. Beyond clinical diagnostics, emerging non-clinical applications, including drug-of-abuse detection, forensic body-fluid identification, and occupational or environmental exposure assessment, are also highlighted. Finally, we discuss key barriers limiting real-world translation of CNT biosensors, including material reproducibility issues, biofouling, physiological interpretation of biofluid biomarkers, scalable manufacturing, and long-term operational stability, and outline future strategies to advance these platforms toward robust, reliable, and widely deployable biosensing technologies. Full article

Cariprazine (CAR) and lurasidone (LUR) are antipsychotic drugs used to treat schizophrenia. These drugs are relatively new in clinical practice, and there is a need to optimise and develop analytical methods for their determination in various biological matrices for biomedical analysis. To date, the detection of these drugs has been performed in serum and urine, but there are no methods for determining these drugs in saliva. In the first part of this study, various chromatographic systems were compared using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) or coupled with quadrupole–linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS), taking into account the retention of tested compounds, system efficiency and peak symmetry. Next, a simple, rapid, and sensitive HPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS method has been developed for the determination of CAR and LUR in human serum, urine, and, for the first time, in saliva samples. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used for sample pre-treatment. Quantifications were carried out using a Polar RP column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and a formate buffer at pH 4.0 in gradient mode. The method was successfully applied for the determination of CAR and LUR in biological samples obtained from psychiatric patients. The findings suggest that saliva may be a non-invasive alternative for the quantification of free levels of investigated drugs, although further studies are required to clarify its relationship with plasma concentrations. Full article

Background: Sex-related differences in SARS-CoV-2 viral susceptibility, severity, and recovery are prevalent. Factors such as age and biological variation provide some explanation for immune response, yet the use of biological sex as a variable may limit understanding of underlying individual mechanisms related to endocrine–immune function involved in long-term immune memory. Endogenous sex hormone concentrations provide a means to assess the magnitude or durability of antibody persistence and disease recovery. Objective: This study examined salivary concentrations of 17β-estradiol and testosterone, as well as the number of weeks since prior SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. The study aimed to determine whether endogenous sex hormones contributed additional explanatory value to antibody persistence beyond biological sex. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 75 college students (63% female) who reported weeks since previous SARS-CoV-2 infection (M = 15.41, SD = 7.13), confirmed through a positive SARS-CoV-2 anti-N rapid antibody test. Participants provided saliva samples, which were tested for concentration of 17β-estradiol and testosterone. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses examined the effects of biological sex and endogenous sex hormones on the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies following natural infection. Results: 17β-estradiol was the strongest positive predictor of SARS-CoV-2 antibody persistence (β = 0.63, p < 0.001). Departing from previous findings, biological sex was not a significant predictor of antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV-2 N protein. Conclusions: Findings underscored the role of estradiol on immune recovery in a healthy young adult population. Individual hormone variation appears more informative than sex classification for understanding antibody persistence and immune response. Full article

Allergen-specific IgE multiplex serology enables the molecular characterization of sensitizations in large populations. To determine the sensitization prevalence and spectrum in dogs suspected of having allergies in the US, we analyzed results from 21,121 serum samples tested in 2024 and 2025 using the Pet Allergy Xplorer (PAX) 238-allergen platform. Sensitization to at least one allergen and to at least one environmental allergen was detected in 90.7% and 86.2% of dogs, respectively. House dust mites (HDMs) were the predominant allergens (79.5%), followed by Hymenoptera venoms (39.8%), meats (21.9%), weeds (21.5%), and tree pollens (18.6%). Sensitization to the Dermatophagoides farinae HDM was the most prevalent (76.7%). Unsupervised clustering of 16,366 sensitized dogs identified six biologically coherent profiles centered on flea saliva, mammalian serum albumins/IgGs, honeybee venom, HDM group-2 allergens, storage mites, and PR-10-family allergens. A second, pollen/plant-food-focused analysis found clusters associated with Parietaria Par j 2, ragweed, granule-bound starch synthases, and PR-10 allergens, as well as a minor Phl p 6-associated grass pollen profile. Altogether, these results define the molecular sensitization repertoire of dogs suspected of allergic diseases in the US and provide the background for interpreting IgE serological results and optimizing allergen selection for immunotherapy. Full article

Objective: Our objective was to determine the salivary levels of cobalt, nickel, chromium, and titanium ions at the end of fixed orthodontic treatment and during the post-removal period (1 and 3 months after removal of the fixed appliance). Methods: This pilot longitudinal study included fifteen individuals (10 females and 5 males). Five milliliters of saliva was collected at three time points: T1 (before withdrawal of orthodontic appliances), T2 (one month post-withdrawal), and T3 (three months post-withdrawal). The concentrations of nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), and cobalt (Co) in the samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). All samples were analyzed in triplicate. The data were analyzed by repeated-measures ANOVA, and differences were considered significant if the p-value was ≤0.05. Results: The concentrations of Co, Cr, and Ti at the three time points were low and decreased after the removal of the orthodontic appliance, while Ni showed an increase at T3. Co and Ni showed significant differences between T3 and T1 (p = 0.016 and p = 0.029, respectively). There was also significantly increased Ni ion release at T3 compared to T2 (p = 0.010). The Cr and Ti levels at all three time points were significantly different (Cr: p = 0.001; Ti: p = 0.001 and p = 0.005). Conclusions: The levels of cobalt, chromium, and titanium in saliva decreased after removal of the orthodontic appliance, whereas nickel increased at T3. However, the levels were below the mean dietary intake levels; therefore, these concentrations can be considered non-toxic. This study has limitations that should be considered when interpreting the results. Full article

Background: Salivary gland dysfunction is a central manifestation of Sjögren’s syndrome, but the relationship between quantitative salivary impairment and salivary microcrystallization remains insufficiently defined. This study aimed to assess unstimulated and stimulated whole salivary flow and salivary pH in patients with primary and secondary Sjögren’s syndrome and to explore salivary microcrystallization indices as complementary descriptive markers of salivary physicochemical patterns. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 126 patients diagnosed with primary or secondary Sjögren’s syndrome. Unstimulated whole salivary flow, stimulated whole salivary flow, and salivary pH were assessed under standardized conditions. Salivary dysfunction severity was classified according to predefined functional salivary parameters. Salivary microcrystallization was evaluated microscopically on dried saliva samples and expressed using the IMK-RFR and IMK-RFS indices. Differences between disease subtypes and associations between salivary parameters, microcrystallization indices, and dysfunction severity were analyzed. Results: The mean unstimulated salivary flow rate was 0.272 ± 0.246 mL/min, while the mean stimulated salivary flow rate was 1.04 ± 0.50 mL/min. In unadjusted analyses, patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome showed lower unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rates than patients with secondary Sjögren’s syndrome. Both salivary flow parameters were inversely associated with salivary dysfunction severity. In an exploratory internal consistency ROC analysis, unstimulated salivary flow showed good internal agreement with grade ≥ 3 salivary dysfunction, while stimulated salivary flow showed very high internal agreement. Salivary pH showed limited internal consistency with dysfunction severity. Firth penalized logistic regression indicated that stimulated whole salivary flow remained associated with grade ≥ 3 salivary dysfunction after adjustment for unstimulated salivary flow. IMK values described salivary microcrystallization patterns within the Sjögren’s syndrome cohort; however, they were not robustly correlated with salivary flow, pH, or dysfunction severity. Conclusions: Salivary flow assessment remains a simple, non-invasive, and clinically relevant method for evaluating glandular dysfunction in Sjögren’s syndrome. In this cohort, primary Sjögren’s syndrome was associated with lower salivary flow rates, but these unadjusted findings should be interpreted as descriptive. Salivary microcrystallization provided exploratory information on qualitative salivary patterns, but its clinical value remains limited and requires methodological standardization and validation in larger prospective studies. Full article

Precise quantitative monitoring of 17β-estradiol (E2) is important for reproductive management in precision livestock farming. However, E2 determination in complex biological matrices remains challenging because of matrix-derived background and signal variability. Here, we developed a nanoconfinement-assisted solid-state ratiometric fluorescent aptasensor integrating target-induced strand displacement (TISD), magnetic separation, and anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nanochannel confinement. The sensing probe consisted of streptavidin-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) carrying a FAM-labeled cDNA internal reference and a Texas Red-labeled E2 aptamer reporter. E2 binding promoted dissociation of the Texas Red-labeled aptamer from the magnetic probe. Magnetic separation and washing reduced soluble matrix-derived interference, while subsequent deposition of the sensing complexes onto an AAO membrane mitigated coffee-ring-associated nonuniformity and produced a more spatially uniform dual-color fluorescence distribution for ratiometric analysis. Under matrix-matched calibration conditions, linear ranges of 5.0–50.0 pM were obtained in tap water and sow saliva, 5.0–40.0 pM in whole milk, and 5.0–15.0 pM in post-estrus sow urine. The LOD determined in tap water was 3.62 pM. The different calibration slopes obtained among the four matrices indicated that residual matrix-dependent effects remained and that matrix-specific calibration was required for quantitative analysis. Matrix-matched spike recoveries ranged from 86.92% to 119.54% across the investigated matrices. The aptasensor exhibited the strongest response toward 17β-E2 among the tested compounds; however, cross-reactivities of 77.3% for E3 and 47.3% for 17α-E2 indicated preferential rather than exclusive recognition. Molecular docking suggested a putative binding pose but did not experimentally establish the molecular recognition mechanism. Overall, the platform demonstrated laboratory-scale analytical feasibility in pretreated tap water, sow saliva, whole milk, and post-estrus sow urine. Further development of sample preparation, magnetic handling, membrane loading, probe selectivity, and portable fluorescence readout will be required before in situ or on-site application. Full article