Analyze of saliva cortisol as biomarker in healthy distressed subjects

Abstract

Stress investigation especially in young healthy adults is a main mental health issue due to its individual and social consequences on long term. In order to characterize physiological, pathological and biochemical mechanisms of stress response, several biomarkers were proposed. Among these, the evaluation of the salivary biomarkers represents a fast and simple procedure, both in healthy subjects and patients. Saliva contains a wide range of parameters reflecting physiologic endocrine and immune responses, such as biologically active form of certain hormones (e.g. cortisol), growth factors, immune molecules. The present article is focused on cortisol evaluation as possible biomarker of stress and its analyze in the context of literature data.