Metabolites · 13 authors, 7 centres
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This study used proton NMR spectroscopy to analyze the metabolomic profile of unstimulated whole saliva from patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) compared to healthy controls, aiming to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers. The central result was the ability to distinguish the pSS group from the control group based on metabolic differences, suggesting salivary metabolomics is a promising approach for screening pSS.
The authors report that the pSS group's salivary metabolome showed higher relative amounts of amines (e.g., methylamine, putrescine), organic acids (e.g., butanoic, phenylpropanoic series), and δ-valerolactam, while the healthy control group had higher amounts of lactic, succinic, pyruvic, and formic acids, as well as amino acids. Specific findings include a statistically significant higher concentration of methylamine in pSS saliva (p < 0.05) and reduced levels of fucose and amino acids like glycine and tyrosine. The authors conclude that 1H NMR spectroscopy can distinguish pSS from controls, supporting its use for screening. Key limitations include the very small sample size, potential bacterial contamination influencing metabolite concentrations (e.g., acetate, propionate, trimethylamine), and the need for further validation in larger cohorts to confirm diagnostic and prognostic potential.
