The effect of acute stress on salivary markers of inflammation: a systematic review protocol.

There is an increasing interest in the ability to non-invasively assess biological markers of stress. Measures of inflammation following exposure to acute stress have been assessed in saliva, but a systematic review and meta-analysis of the reliability of changes in response to stress has not been conducted. The proposed review aims to update and extend a prior review of this literature by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis, conducting moderator analyses, summarizing and reviewing best practices, and providing recommendations for future research.