THE ROLE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN DEFINING SALIVARY PROTEIN COMPOSITION FOLLOWING PLACEMENT OF FIXED ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES - BREAKTHROUGH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC PROCEDURES/ULOGA NOVIH TEHNOLOGIJA U ODREDIVANJU PROTEOMA SLINE NAKON POSTAVLJANJA FIKSNOG ORTOD ONTSKOG APARATA - RAZVOJ NOVIH DIJAGNOSTICKIH I TERAPEUTSKIH PRISTUPA

Human saliva is rich in proteins of variable functions (e.g., enzymes, immunoglobulins, cytokines) and origin (blood plasma, salivary glands, or oral microflora). Circadian dynamics, volume and composition (electrolytes, pH, protein, etc.) of secreted saliva vary with local and systemic physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Therefore, the composition of saliva, protein in particular, has been intensively investigated to identify the potential markers and/or mechanisms of systemic and local diseases. Proteomic techniques used for the analysis of biological fluids have enabled great advances in salivary protein stabilization (as the main precondition for their analysis) and detection of those found in saliva in very low concentrations, including small proteins and peptides. This review brings the main characteristics of current proteomic techniques such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, two-dimensional electrophoresis-mass spectrometry, and surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization/time of flight/mass spectrometry. These techniques enable simultaneous identification of hundreds and thousands of protein molecules, as well as identifying those of a potential biological value in particular states. This literature review is focused on the state-of-the-art and possibilities offered by proteomic techniques in analyzing the effects of orthodontic appliances on salivary protein composition and searching for potential markers of therapeutic success/failure or for the molecules by which therapeutic effects are achieved. Key words: Saliva; Proteomics; Orthodontic appliance; Salivary protein Ljudska slina obiluje proteinima raznolikih funkcija (enzimi, imunoglobulini, citokini) i podrijetla (krvna plazma, zlijezde slinovnice, mikroflora usne supljine). Dinamika i volumen izlucene sline kao i njezin sastav (elektroliti, pH, proteini) promjenjivi su tijekom dana, u razlicitim fizioloskim i patofizioloskim stanjima, lokalnim ali i sustavnim. Stoga se sastav sline, osobito proteinski, intenzivno istrazuje u smislu identifikacije potencijalnih biljega i/ili mehanizama sustavnih i lokalnih bolesti. Nove tehnike analize proteina (tzv. proteomske tehnike) u bioloskim tekucinama omogucile su velik napredak u stabilizaciji proteina sline (temeljni uvjet za njihovu analizu) te otkrivanje i onih koji se u slini nalaze u vrlo malim koncentracijama, ukljucujuci i male proteine i peptide. U ovom clanku prikazana su temeljna svojstva suvremenih proteomskih tehni