Salivary miRNA-155 As A Non–Invasive Biomarker For Periodontitis: Diagnostic, Public Health And Translational Perspectives: A Systematic Review
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18426789
Abstract
Background: Periodontitis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory disease, with significant public health implications, Conventional diagnostic methods primarily reflect past tissue destruction and may not adequately capture active disease. saliva –based biomarkers, particularly microRNAs, have emerged as promising non –invasive tools for early diagnosis. MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) is a key regulator of inflammatory pathways and has been increasingly investigated in periodontal diseases.
Objectives: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the diagnostic potential, public health relevance, and translational applicability of salivary miR-155 as a non –invasive biomarkers for periodontitis
Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Electronic database including PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched for studies published between 2011 and 2025.Eligible studies assessed salivary miR-155 expression in periodontitis patients compared with healthy controls study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment using the QUADAS 2 tool were performed independently by two reviewers.
Result: Included studies consistently demonstrated significantly elevated salivary miR-155 levels in periodontitis patients. Diagnostic accuracy analyses reported moderate to high sensitivity and acceptable specificity, with favorable area under the ROC curve values. Several studies also showed positive correlation between miR-155 expression and clinical periodontal parameters, suggesting an association with disease severity. Overall risk of bias was low to moderate across studies.
Conclusion: Salivary miR-155 shows strong potential as a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker for periodontitis, with implications for early detection, population screening, and precision dentistry. However, heterogeneity in methodologies highlights the need for standardized protocols and large-scale validation studies before routine clinical implementation.
