Not convinced that saliva testing can work for you?
Here are some interesting and helpful points for you to consider along with some general information regarding saliva testing.
Ease of collection - Minimal training is necessary and individuals can collect their own samples.
Non-invasive method - It is much easier to recruit subjects for studies that utilize saliva.
Cost effective - Supplies for collecting samples are much less expensive.
Safety - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does NOT classify saliva as a Class II biohazard.
Accuracy - Saliva levels are highly correlated with serum levels.
Why is enzyme immunoassay (EIA) better than radio immunoassay (RIA)?
Safety - No radioisotopes are used.
Better performance - small sample volumes, simple protocols, low minimum detection limit.
Ease of disposal - No costly radioactive waste disposal is necessary.
Consistency - Minimal lot-to-lot variation.
Why is saliva sample pH screening important?
Assay results are affected if saliva pH is below 4 or above 9, which is often the case with some food products that are used to stimulate saliva flow.
Our assays are the only commercial assays available that incorporate a pH screen.
Do I need to be concerned about blood contamination in my saliva samples?
Yes - small amounts of blood contamination in saliva may result in greatly elevated hormone levels in saliva. Hormone levels in blood are substantially higher than levels in saliva.
Blood contamination in saliva may not be visible, and occurs due to a variety of reasons including vigorous tooth brushing, eating hard or hot foods, teething in children, or periodontal disease.
Our
blood contamination assay kit is the only one available that will allow you to screen saliva samples. Other methods such as dipsticks are not as precise due to peroxidases in saliva that result in false positives.
Are chemiluminescent assays more sensitive than colorimetric detection assays?
As quoted from authors Reinhard Niessner and Dietmar Knopp taken from section 2.4.2.4. of Ullmann's Encylcopedia of Industrial Chemistry, copyright © 2002 by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, all rights reserved:
“At first glance, fluorescent labeling appears to have a much higher detection strength compared to colorimetric detection, but this is not the case. First, the affinity constant generally limits the detection strength of a process. Second, fluorophores are exposed to many influences, such as quenching by impuritites, or even adsorption of the flurophore molecule.”
You need to know…
Hormones found in saliva accurately reflect the unbound, biologically active fraction found in the general blood circulation.
The protein content of saliva is much less than the protein content of serum. Matrix effects may result in false values.
Our tests are custom designed for use with saliva. They are not modified serum assays.
Our tests are specific and sensitive to the lower levels of hormones found in saliva.
For More Information
What advantages does saliva offer over blood or urine?
Copyright 2005 Salimetrics LLC