It is regarded as common knowledge that blood tests can determine a multitude of results, from whole blood count, to hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and including markers that may indicate tumors. Depending on one’s veins, blood tests can also be relatively quick and easy to take, not even taking a minute in most circumstances. Yet even this comprehensive testing doesn’t reveal all. Suffice to say, there is quite the drive for blood tests as preliminary diagnostics.
As science and technology continues to progress, we seek even simpler, more immediate results; especially for those regarding more severe diagnosis. Could there be a non-invasive, further accurate techniques to utilize diagnostically? While minimally invasive, those with haemophilia may not be able to utilize this simple, extensive technique to help diagnose possible indicators to poor health. Recent studies in looking for additional potential sources of biomarkers, via biological fluid, of primary Sjögren’s Syndrome (pSS) may just be found in saliva and tears. In this particular study, a total of 27 pSS patients and 32 “healthy” controls were performed on. In this syndrome, chronic inflammation results in a progressive destruction of the exocrine glands, primarily originating in the lacrimal and salivary glands. Suffice to say, learning a proficient way to decipher the source of the infiltration of these glands, and in a swifter, more direct way than drawing blood.
An autoimmune disease is any disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks its own, healthy cells. Without narrowing down any of the possible diseases, I would imagine any person would see the complications and dangers of such a disease. Including Sjögren’s Syndrome, other autoimmune diseases are rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus, Grave’s disease, and Vasculitis. There certainly are more autoimmune diseases currently known about, and there surely may be more to come. The research that these scientists are pursuing, and making, is absolutely imperative on multiple planes; such as furthering our current understanding of cells, generally, and understanding the human body and the ways it reacts to further our health.
Their saliva and tear samples were tested with nanoparticle particle analysis in order to determine the distribution and concentration of EVs, extracellular vesicles; essentially, pieces of the cells. One of the hopes of this testing was to determine just how different the distribution of the vesicles were between not only the healthy control and the pSS patients, yet also the correlation between pSS patients with each other. “Interestingly, patients with autoimmune diseases have increased levels of vesicles that carry components associated with complement activation,” they state in this breakthrough article.
Why is this so fascinating and important? To start, the image posted above may look like a pencil drawing of a piece of coral up close, yet it is actually a rendition of the biological cell membrane that makes this all possible. These “vesicles”, referenced in the dictionary as “a small bladderlike cavity, especially one filled with fluid.” The vesicles produced by the breakdown of the exocrine tissues may provide the key to a more accurate prognosis for pSS, and hopefully many other serious autoimmune illnesses. And as exocrine glands perish and break down, vesicles are produced. Importantly, these protein markers found in the membrane of these vesicles can be detected in a various ways; and if they are specific for the disease they may then provide a means for a diagnostic test.
CD9 is a protein that triggers our immune response. In humans, CD9 is actually one of 320 unique CD clusters, all of which support cell growth, activation, and motility. Therefore, if there isn’t enough CD9, or alternatively if it is being hindered, how could it alert the immune system to kick in and protect itself? Something as simple a one’s pH level being amiss, as with all proteins, could be one factor of the protein being unable to become active. It goes without saying, I am sure, that this does not only affect those with pSS, yet spans into something as serious as cancer.
Is there anything else that makes both our tears and saliva more attractive for testing and future diagnostics? Absolutely, several reasons. One reason of which is simply put: our saliva is 98% water, and our tears are made up of mostly water and salt. These are both great solutes and can react greatly to an isotonic solution; pulling away most of the water from the vesicles that researchers are attempting to find the biomarkers on. Beyond this, screening both these salivary and lacrimal fluids as part of the diagnostic process enables the opportunity of a noninvasive procedure that is easily repeatable for future screenings, in order to regularly check the progress of a patient. These substances are not complex, either, and may easily provide disease monitoring for many years to come.
As previously mentioned, there are currently 320 known, unique clusters of the CD protein in humans. And being such, the possibilities of finding likewise unique disease indicators on their very own biomarkers open a new frontier for scientific research. For CD9, alone, this blog already has addressed the fact that we are currently knowledgeable that it plays a role in pSS and some cancers. Perhaps other diseases, too; and if not CD9, perhaps one or more of the other 319 CD clusters. Perhaps there are more than 320, and some others may very well be in our salivary and lacrimal glands, as well. We may have just come across our next comprehensive diagnostic tool, and one that is noninvasive and easy for any individual to take.
References
Aqrawi, Lara A., Hilde Kanli Galtung, Beate Vestad, Reidun Øvstebø, Bernd Thiede, Shermin Rusthen, Alix Young, Eduarda M. Guerreiro, Tor Paaske Utheim, Xiangjun Chen, Øygunn Aass Utheim, Øyvind Palm, and Janicke Liaaen Jensen. "Identification of Potential Saliva and Tear Biomarkers in Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome, Utilising the Extraction of Extracellular Vesicles and Proteomics Analysis." Arthritis Research & Therapy. BioMed Central, 27 Jan. 2017. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.
"CD9/T-Span-29 Protein." SinoBiological Biological Solution Specialist. Sino Biological, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.
Robinson, Jennifer, MD. "What Are Autoimmune Disorders?" WebMD. WebMD, 7 Aug. 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
Vesicle. 1892. Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine. Flickr. By Morrant W. Baker. Web. 3 Apr. 2017.
"Vesicle." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
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