SALIVA DIAGNOSTICS
Workstations such as the Tecan Freedom EVOlyzer allow seamless automation of sample preparation steps and ELISA processes.
improve the accuracy and repeatability of results by removing many of the sources of variability and human error that can often plague manual processes. These workstations have been integrated into many testing facilities around the world with great success, allowing laboratories to increase their throughput to keep up with the rising demand for saliva testing.
Streamlining for success Biovis’ Diagnostik, a German company at the forefront of saliva diagnostics, is one such laboratory that is taking advantage of state-of-the-art automation solutions. The company was founded in 2004 to offer a broad range of clinical diagnostic tests – including gastrointestinal, immune and metabolic analyses – and it has been supporting the diagnosis of hormone-based disorders since 2012. Dr Burkhard Schütz, founder of Biovis’ Diagnostik, explained the benefits of saliva testing from his perspective: “It offers an incredibly simple way of collecting samples, it is non-invasive, and the patient can take samples themselves, without needing to go to the doctor’s office. They can take samples at any time across the day, which is very useful for
determining various phase-dependent parameters, such as melatonin or cortisol, that you can only monitor in blood if the patient comes to the practice again and again. The stability is also very good, and samples are easier to transport than blood.”
Biovis’ Diagnostik has streamlined
its hormone diagnostics activities by automating ELISA processing for oestradiol, estriol, progesterone, cortisol, testosterone, DHEA and melatonin in salivary samples. This has allowed the company to significantly increase throughput, as well as improve the accuracy and reproducibility of its results. Burkhard concluded by emphasising the benefits of high throughput, automated hormone testing, particularly for women: “I believe it will continue to be a valuable tool in diagnosing female hormone imbalances that can cause symptoms such as cycle disturbances or absence of ovulation. It can also support the many women who have premenstrual syndrome associated with changes in their progesterone-oestradiol ratio. Being able to accurately detect these imbalances allows women to seek therapies to overcome their challenging symptoms.”
Today, almost any of the proteins that can be tested for in blood – for example, enzymes, cytokines and antibodies – can also be screened in saliva, at sensitivities that could only be dreamt of just a few years ago
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Conclusions The widespread use of saliva diagnostics in clinical settings was initially held back by a lack of knowledge and the absence of robust sample collection and analysis protocols. However, now that standard operating procedures are in place, saliva analysis is increasingly replacing blood testing in the diagnosis of hormone imbalances, providing a far more accurate representation of the levels of biologically active hormones available to target tissues. Saliva sampling is also safe, convenient and non-invasive, which allows patients to take samples to track daily hormone fluctuations at home without requiring professional assistance. This potent combination of accuracy and convenience has led to a sharp increase in the demand for saliva testing across a wide variety of emerging sectors, including its use to great effect in health and wellness applications by companies such as Fluids iQ. This is prompting Biovis’ Diagnostik and many other laboratories to streamline their workflows by implementing state- of-the-art automation workstations. The combination of this sample type and flexible, powerful technologies generates rapid, accurate and repeatable results, fast tracking the diagnosis of hormone imbalances and restoring patient quality of life with prompt treatment.
References 1 American Association of Neurological
Surgeons. Cushing’s syndrome/disease. AANS 2023 (
https://www.aans.org/en/ Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and- Treatments/Cushings-Disease)
2 Huizen J. What to know about hormonal imbalances. Medical News Today 2023 (
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/321486#symptoms)
3 Bikle DD. The Free Hormone Hypothesis: When, Why, and How to Measure the Free Hormone Levels to Assess Vitamin D, Thyroid, Sex Hormone, and Cortisol Status. JBMR Plus. 2020;5(1):e10418. Published 2020 Nov 2. doi:10.1002/jbm4.10418
4 Hofman LF. Human saliva as a diagnostic specimen. J Nutr. 2001;131(5):1621S-5S. doi:10.1093/jn/131.5.1621S
Dr Dajana Domik joined Tecan in 2020 as a product manager responsible for a diverse range, including the company’s saliva portfolio, and is now supporting the Global Reagent Marketing and Support Department with immunoassay solutions
* Product availability and regulatory status may vary across regions outside the EU depending on local country-specific registration.
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