The validity, stability, and utility of measuring uric acid in saliva

Aim: Serum uric acid (UA) is associated with many health conditions, including kidney, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders. We examined the validity and stability of salivary UA as a noninvasive measure of serum UA. Materials & methods: Using serum and salivary UA data from healthy adults (n = 99), we examined the UA serum–saliva correlation, and UA associations with adiponectin and C-reactive protein. Using longitudinal data from young adults (n = 182), we examined salivary UA stability. Results: We found robust positive serum–saliva correlations for UA. UA and adiponectin were inversely related in serum and saliva. Salivary UA was relatively stable; 62–66% of variance could be attributed to a latent trait-like component. Conclusion: Salivary UA may be an important biomarker indexing health and disease risk.