# Blood and Saliva Composition in Cancer: Similarities or Differences? **Authors:** Elena I. Dyachenko, Lyudmila V. Bel’skaya PMC · DOI: 10.3390/cimb48030308 · 2026-03-12 ## TL;DR This paper reviews similarities and differences in blood and saliva composition in cancer patients to better understand their diagnostic potential. ## Contribution The paper systematically analyzes parallel studies comparing saliva and blood in cancer diagnostics and introduces the concept of 'pathological process routing'. ## Key findings - Biochemical parameters show the most contradictory changes between saliva and blood. - Cytokines, growth factors, hormones, and tumor markers are more consistently reproducible across studies in both fluids. - Salivary indicators may have different underlying causes than blood indicators and may not always be cancer-related. ## Abstract Saliva is of great interest for diagnosing and monitoring various diseases, including cancer. Saliva contains a wide range of proteins, some of which are found in blood plasma, while others are unique. Despite the obvious advantages of using saliva for diagnostics and patient monitoring, difficulties in interpreting salivary values remain. Furthermore, the extent to which salivary results correlate with blood test results remains unclear. In this review, we have collected and analyzed all currently available parallel studies of saliva and blood on the nature of changes in biochemical parameters, cytokines, growth factors, hormones, and tumor markers in cancer patients. The most contradictory and divergent changes in saliva and blood were observed when measuring biochemical parameters. Cytokines, growth factors, hormones, and tumor markers in both saliva and blood have a higher reproducibility between independent studies. It is important to consider that the causes and mechanisms behind a particular indicator in saliva may differ from those underlying the same indicators in the blood. Furthermore, these indicators may not always be directly related to cancer. We suggest that comparing identical parameters in blood and saliva is useful in the context of “pathological process routing.” The paper also provides interpretations and hypotheses regarding the causes and nature of changes in saliva and blood composition in cancer. ## Linked entities - **Diseases:** cancer (MONDO:0004992) ## Full-text entities - **Genes:** MMP1 (matrix metallopeptidase 1) [NCBI Gene 4312] {aka CLG}, TNF (tumor necrosis factor) [NCBI Gene 7124] {aka DIF, IMD127, TNF-alpha, TNFA, TNFSF2, TNLG1F}, PSG2 (pregnancy specific beta-1-glycoprotein 2) [NCBI Gene 5670] {aka CEA, PSBG2, PSG1}, ALB (albumin) [NCBI Gene 213] {aka FDAHT, HSA, PRO0883, PRO0903, PRO1341}, CMKLR1 (chemerin chemokine-like receptor 1) [NCBI Gene 1240] {aka CHEMERINR, ChemR23, DEZ, ERV1, RVER1}, MMP9 (matrix metallopeptidase 9) [NCBI Gene 4318] {aka CLG4B, GELB, MANDP2, MMP-9}, TADA2A (transcriptional adaptor 2A) [NCBI Gene 6871] {aka ADA2, ADA2A, KL04P, TADA2L, hADA2}, EREG (epiregulin) [NCBI Gene 2069] {aka EPR, ER, Ep}, TADA1 (transcriptional adaptor 1) [NCBI Gene 117143] {aka ADA1, HFI1, STAF42, TADA1L, hADA1}, CXCL8 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8) [NCBI Gene 3576] {aka GCP-1, GCP1, IL8, LECT, LUCT, LYNAP}, CD79A (CD79a molecule) [NCBI Gene 973] {aka IGA, IGAlpha, MB-1, MB1}, MMP7 (matrix metallopeptidase 7) [NCBI Gene 4316] {aka MMP-7, MPSL1, PUMP-1}, CREB1 (cAMP responsive element binding protein 1) [NCBI Gene 1385] {aka CREB, CREB-1}, RARRES2 (retinoic acid receptor responder 2) [NCBI Gene 5919] {aka HP10433, TIG2}, GPT (glutamic--pyruvic transaminase) [NCBI Gene 2875] {aka AAT1, ALT, ALT1, GPT1, SGPT}, KRT19 (keratin 19) [NCBI Gene 3880] {aka CK19, K19, K1CS}, FURIN (furin, paired basic amino acid cleaving enzyme) [NCBI Gene 5045] {aka FUR, PACE, PCSK3, SPC1}, MPHOSPH9 (M-phase phosphoprotein 9) [NCBI Gene 10198] {aka MPP-9, MPP9}, ELANE (elastase, neutrophil expressed) [NCBI Gene 1991] {aka ELA2, GE, HLE, HNE, NE, PMN-E}, CMKLR2 (chemerin chemokine-like receptor 2) [NCBI Gene 2825] {aka GPR1}, PIGR (polymeric immunoglobulin receptor) [NCBI Gene 5284], PLG (plasminogen) [NCBI Gene 5340] {aka HAE4}, MPO (myeloperoxidase) [NCBI Gene 4353], GPLD1 (glycosylphosphatidylinositol specific phospholipase D1) [NCBI Gene 2822] {aka GPIPLD, GPIPLDM, PIGPLD, PIGPLD1, PLD}, IL1B (interleukin 1 beta) [NCBI Gene 3553] {aka IL-1, IL1-BETA, IL1F2, IL1beta}, IGF1 (insulin like growth factor 1) [NCBI Gene 3479] {aka IGF, IGF-I, IGFI, MGF}, EGF (epidermal growth factor) [NCBI Gene 1950] {aka HOMG4, URG}, PDCD4 (programmed cell death 4) [NCBI Gene 27250] {aka H731}, PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) [NCBI Gene 5728] {aka 10q23del, BZS, CWS1, DEC, GLM2, MHAM}, MMP3 (matrix metallopeptidase 3) [NCBI Gene 4314] {aka CHDS6, MMP-3, SL-1, STMY, STMY1, STR1}, ERBB2 (erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 2064] {aka CD340, HER-2, HER-2/neu, HER2, MLN 19, MLN-19}, GGT1 (gamma-glutamyltransferase 1) [NCBI Gene 2678] {aka CD224, D22S672, D22S732, GGT, GGT 1, GGTD}, AGT (angiotensinogen) [NCBI Gene 183] {aka ANHU, SERPINA8, hFLT1}, IGFBP3 (insulin like growth factor binding protein 3) [NCBI Gene 3486] {aka BP-53, IBP-3, IBP3, IGFBP-3}, MUC1 (mucin 1, cell surface associated) [NCBI Gene 4582] {aka ADMCKD, ADMCKD1, ADTKD2, CA 15-3, CD227, Ca15-3}, B2M (beta-2-microglobulin) [NCBI Gene 567] {aka AMYLD6, IMD43, MHC1D4}, GGTLC4P (gamma-glutamyltransferase light chain 4 pseudogene) [NCBI Gene 729838] {aka GGT}, mucin [NCBI Gene 100508689], CD4 (CD4 molecule) [NCBI Gene 920] {aka CD4mut, IMD79, Leu-3, OKT4D, T4}, IL6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 3569] {aka BSF-2, BSF2, CDF, HGF, HSF, IFN-beta-2}, CTSG (cathepsin G) [NCBI Gene 1511] {aka CATG, CG}, CD8A (CD8 subunit alpha) [NCBI Gene 925] {aka CD8, CD8alpha, IMD116, Leu2, p32}, NFKB1 (nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1) [NCBI Gene 4790] {aka CVID12, EBP-1, KBF1, NF-kB, NF-kB1, NF-kappa-B1}, SERPINA12 (serpin family A member 12) [NCBI Gene 145264] {aka OL-64}, SLC17A5 (solute carrier family 17 member 5) [NCBI Gene 26503] {aka AST, ISSD, NSD, SD, SIALIN, SIASD}, TGFA (transforming growth factor alpha) [NCBI Gene 7039] {aka TFGA}, MMP2 (matrix metallopeptidase 2) [NCBI Gene 4313] {aka CLG4, CLG4A, MMP-2, MMP-II, MONA, TBE-1}, PTH (parathyroid hormone) [NCBI Gene 5741] {aka FIH1, PTH1}, IER3 (immediate early response 3) [NCBI Gene 8870] {aka DIF-2, DIF2, GLY96, IEX-1, IEX-1L, IEX1}, ADA (adenosine deaminase) [NCBI Gene 100] {aka ADA1}, NPEPPS (aminopeptidase puromycin sensitive) [NCBI Gene 9520] {aka AAP-S, MP100, PSA}, MIR21 (microRNA 21) [NCBI Gene 406991] {aka MIRN21, hsa-mir-21, miR-21, miRNA21}, CKB (creatine kinase B) [NCBI Gene 1152] {aka B-CK, BCK, CKBB, CPK-B, HEL-211, HEL-S-29}, IFNG (interferon gamma) [NCBI Gene 3458] {aka IFG, IFI, IMD69}, EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) [NCBI Gene 1956] {aka ERBB, ERBB1, ERRP, HER1, NISBD2, NNCIS}, MUC16 (mucin 16, cell surface associated) [NCBI Gene 94025] {aka CA125}, ALPP (alkaline phosphatase, placental) [NCBI Gene 250] {aka ALP, PALP, PLAP, PLAP-1}, MMP14 (matrix metallopeptidase 14) [NCBI Gene 4323] {aka MMP-14, MMP-X1, MT-MMP, MT-MMP 1, MT1-MMP, MT1MMP}, FOSB (FosB proto-oncogene, AP-1 transcription factor subunit) [NCBI Gene 2354] {aka AP-1, G0S3, GOS3, GOSB}, GPR166P (G protein-coupled receptor 166, pseudogene) [NCBI Gene 442206] {aka GPCR, PGR9} - **Diseases:** glioblastoma (MESH:D005909), cancer (MESH:D009369), laryngeal and pharyngeal cancer (MESH:D010610), blood coagulation (MESH:D001778), laryngeal and tonsil cancer (MESH:D014067), melanoma (MESH:D008545), squamous cell carcinoma (MESH:D002294), benign ovarian tumors (MESH:D010051), HNSCC (MESH:D000077195), OLRs (MESH:D017512), inflammation (MESH:D007249), neoplasms of the oral cavity (MESH:D009062), immune system failure (MESH:D051437), colon adenocarcinoma (MESH:D003110), breast cancer (MESH:D001943), Oral submucous fibrosis (MESH:D009914), metastases (MESH:D009362), prostate cancer (MESH:D011471), gastrointestinal cancer (MESH:D005770), OLP (MESH:D017676), type 2 diabetes mellitus (MESH:D003924), carcinogenesis (MESH:D063646), impaired renal excretion (MESH:D007674), stroke (MESH:D020521), lymph node (MESH:D000072717), injury to (MESH:D014947), endometrial cancer (MESH:D016889), CRC (MESH:D015179), medullary thyroid cancer (MESH:C536914), head and neck cancer (MESH:D006258), benign prostatic dysplasia (MESH:D011472), oncological diseases (MESH:D000072716), epithelial ovarian cancer (MESH:D000077216), NSCLC (MESH:D002289), cytotoxic (MESH:D064420), cardiovascular disease (MESH:D002318), immune dysfunction (MESH:D007154), benign prostatic hyperplasia (MESH:D011470), Leukoplakia:50 (MESH:D007971), dysplasia (MESH:D015792), cervical cancer (MESH:D002583), cervical and gastric cancer (MESH:D013274) - **Chemicals:** hydrogen peroxide (MESH:D006861), inosine (MESH:D007288), GTP (MESH:D006160), succinate (MESH:D019802), ceramide (MESH:D002518), Magnesium (MESH:D008274), Neopterin (MESH:D019798), Phosphatidylserine (MESH:D010718), creatinine (MESH:D003404), Phosphate (MESH:D010710), uric acid (MESH:D014527), Estradiol (MESH:D004958), CAE (MESH:C042831), Chloramines (MESH:D002700), tyrosine (MESH:D014443), glucose (MESH:D005947), urea (MESH:D014508), PGE2 (MESH:D015232), kynurenine (MESH:D007737), 3-hydroxykynurenine (MESH:C005045), vitamin D (MESH:D014807), adenosine-5'-monophosphate (MESH:D000249), lactic acid (MESH:D019344), tricarboxylic acid (MESH:D014233), superoxide (MESH:D013481), thiol (MESH:D013438), disulfides (MESH:D004220), heavy metal (MESH:D019216), citrate (MESH:D019343), calcium (MESH:D002118), vitamin D3 (MESH:D002762), creatine (MESH:D003401), HSA (MESH:D006585), phenylalanine (MESH:D010649), HOCL (MESH:D006997), Cys (-), oxamic acid (MESH:D010072), zinc (MESH:D015032), dihydroorotate (MESH:C004768), TG (MESH:D014280), Lipids (MESH:D008055), pentose phosphate (MESH:D010428), testosterone (MESH:D013739), adenosine (MESH:D000241) - **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606] --- Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13025662