Salivary Markers in Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases

Inflammatory diseases comprise a broad and heterogeneous range of disorders of different origins. Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases characterized by chronic systemic inflammation are caused by immune system disorders that can affect different organs. Autoimmune diseases are of uncertain etiology, though genetic and environmental factors are known to play a role in their etiopathogenesis. They develop when intrinsic immune system damage results in a loss of self-tolerance, giving rise to abnormal reactions against the host tissues that persist over time.