The measurement of hormones in saliva: possibilities and pitfalls.

The easy stress-free, non-invasive nature of saliva collection makes it one of the most accessible body fluids and it is potentially of value in studying normal human physiology as well as pathology. Measurements of salivary hormone levels will usually only be of value if they reflect the plasma level of the hormone and the relationship between the saliva and plasma levels of many hormones have been studied by a number of groups. The measurement of the salivary level is a valuable clinical tool for some hormones (e.g. cortisol, oestriol, progesterone), is of little value for others (e.g. cortisone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, thyroxine, pituitary hormones) and for many others the saliva/plasma relationship is not yet sufficiently understood to assess the value of the salivary measurement. As well as reviewing the state of our knowledge of the salivary concentration of many hormones this review outlines a number of "rules of thumb" concerning the presence of hormones in saliva, their saliva/plasma relationship and the potential usefulness of assays of their salivary concentration.

[1]  P. Baxendale,et al.  PLASMA AND SALIVARY ANDROSTENEDIONE AND DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE IN WOMEN WITH HYPERANDROGENISM , 1983, Clinical endocrinology.

[2]  P. McDonough,et al.  Salivary progesterone as an index of the luteal function. , 1984, Fertility and sterility.

[3]  E. Nieschlag,et al.  Saliva and serum testosterone following oral testosterone undecanoate administration in normal and hypogonadal men. , 1983, Acta endocrinologica.

[4]  N. Barnes,et al.  Circadian Variation in Plasma 17-Hydroxyprogesterone in Patients with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia , 1972, Archives of disease in childhood.

[5]  B. Armstrong,et al.  BREAST CANCER AND SPIRONOLACTONE , 1975, The Lancet.

[6]  R. Walker,et al.  THE ROLE OF SALIVARY PROGESTERONE IN STUDIES OF INFERTILE WOMEN , 1981, British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology.

[7]  R. Walker,et al.  SALIVARY 17α‐HYDROXYPROGESTERONE IN CONGENITAL ADRENAL HYPERPLASIA , 1979 .

[8]  D. Orth,et al.  Epidermal growth factor (urogastrone) in human fluids: size heterogeneity. , 1979, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[9]  S. Gaskell,et al.  Analyses of steroids in saliva using highly selective mass spectrometric techniques. , 1980, Biomedical mass spectrometry.

[10]  S. Lafranchi,et al.  Serum 17-α-hydroxyprogesterone, progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone in the diagnosis and management of congenital adrenal hyperplasia , 1974 .

[11]  R. Vining,et al.  Hormones in saliva: mode of entry and consequent implications for clinical interpretation. , 1983, Clinical chemistry.

[12]  J. Morley,et al.  Salivary thyroxine as an estimate of free thyroxine: concise communication. , 1983, Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine.

[13]  A. Burgen,et al.  Changes in the Permeability of the Salivary Gland Caused by Sympathetic Stimulation and by Catecholamines , 1962, The Journal of general physiology.

[14]  I. Hughes,et al.  Radioimmunoassay of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone in saliva, parotid fluid, and plasma of congenital adrenal hyperplasia patients. , 1979, Clinical chemistry.

[15]  N. Novak,et al.  Salivary unconjugated estriol levels in normal third trimester pregnancy — Direct correlation with serum levels , 1983, Steroids.

[16]  I. Hughes,et al.  Simultaneous Plasma and Saliva Steroid Measurements as an Index of Control in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) , 1982 .

[17]  K. Griffiths,et al.  Analysis of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone in saliva by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry , 1980, Steroids.

[18]  I. Hughes,et al.  Menarche and subsequent ovarian function in girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. , 1982 .

[19]  R. Vining,et al.  Saliva estriol measurements: an alternative to the assay of serum unconjugated estriol in assessing feto-placental function. , 1983, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[20]  M. Metcalf,et al.  Indices of ovulation: comparison of plasma and salivary levels of progesterone with urinary pregnanediol. , 1984, The Journal of endocrinology.

[21]  M. Ferguson,et al.  Kinetic study of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in rat submandibular salivary gland , 1975 .

[22]  M. L. Connor,et al.  Saliva progesterone throughout the menstrual cycle and late pregnancy. , 1982, Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology.

[23]  R. Walker,et al.  Adrenal status assessed by direct radioimmunoassay of cortisol in whole saliva or parotid saliva. , 1978, Clinical chemistry.

[24]  W. Rohde,et al.  Enzyme immunoassay of 17-hydroxyprogesterone in plasma, microfilter paper blood and saliva of newborns, children and patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. , 1982, Endokrinologie.

[25]  S. Jeffcoate,et al.  Assays of Oestradiol and Progesterone in Saliva in the Assessment of Ovarian function1 , 1984 .

[26]  R. Hampl,et al.  A Selective Radioimmunoassay of Androstenedione in Plasma and Saliva , 1982, Journal of clinical chemistry and clinical biochemistry. Zeitschrift fur klinische Chemie und klinische Biochemie.

[27]  D. Chisholm,et al.  Salivary glands in health and disease , 1975 .

[28]  E. W. Lennep,et al.  Transport in Salivary and Salt Glands , 1979 .

[29]  R. F. Vining,et al.  Hormones in saliva. , 1986, Critical reviews in clinical laboratory sciences.

[30]  P. Besch,et al.  Saliva as a matrix for measuring free androgens: comparison with serum androgens in polycystic ovarian disease. , 1979, Fertility and sterility.

[31]  A. Burgen,et al.  The secretion of non-electrolytes in the parotid saliva. , 1956, Journal of cellular and comparative physiology.

[32]  J. Evans,et al.  OESTRADIOL IN SALIVA DURING THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE , 1980, British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology.

[33]  G. Maltinti,et al.  RADIOIMMUNOASSAY OF ŒSTRONE IN MALE SALIVA , 1980, The Lancet.

[34]  J. Fiet,et al.  Physiological and pathological variations in saliva cortisol. , 1982, Hormone research.

[35]  F. Khan-dawood,et al.  Progesterone and estradiol in the saliva and plasma during the menstrual cycle. , 1983, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology.

[36]  I. Hughes,et al.  Control in congenital adrenal hyperplasia monitored by frequent saliva 17OH-progesterone measurements. , 1984, Hormone research.

[37]  E. Nieschlag,et al.  Salivary testosterone in men: further evidence of a direct correlation with free serum testosterone. , 1981, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[38]  R. Walker.  Salivary Cortisol Determinations in the Assessment of Adrenal Activity , 1984 .

[39]  M. New,et al.  The Biologic Significance of the Aldosterone Concentration in Saliva , 1979, Pediatric Research.

[40]  T. Lehner,et al.  Passage of immunoglobulins from plasma to the oral cavity in rhesus monkeys. , 1978, Immunology.

[41]  F. Franchi,et al.  Salivary Steroid Measurement , 1984 .

[42]  R F Vining,et al.  Salivary Cortisol: A Better Measure of Adrenal Cortical Function than Serum Cortisol , 1983, Annals of clinical biochemistry.

[43]  M. Gasperi,et al.  Radioimmunoassay for progesterone in human saliva during the menstrual cycle. , 1981, Journal of steroid biochemistry.

[44]  S. Gaskell,et al.  Identification and quantification of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate in saliva , 1982, Steroids.

[45]  Hull Mg.  The basis and application of estrogen assays on urine and blood to assess fetoplacental function in late pregnancy. , 1976 .

[46]  W. Booth.  The occurrence of testosterone and 5 -dihydrotestosterone in the submaxillary salivary gland of the boar. , 1972, The Journal of endocrinology.

[47]  R. Walker,et al.  Assessment of testicular function by the radioimmunoassay of testosterone in saliva. , 1980, International journal of andrology.

[48]  R. Walker,et al.  Characterization of profiles of salivary progesterone concentrations during the luteal phase of fertile and subfertile women. , 1985, The Journal of endocrinology.

[49]  K. Griffiths,et al.  Determination of ovarian steroid hormone levels in saliva. An overview. , 1987, The Journal of reproductive medicine.

[50]  T. Benraad,et al.  Salivary and plasma androstenedione and 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels in congenital adrenal hyperplasia. , 1983, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[51]  J. Peters,et al.  SALIVARY CORTISOL ASSAYS FOR ASSESSING PITUITARY‐ADRENAL RESERVE , 1982, Clinical endocrinology.

[52]  G. Addison,et al.  ASSAY OF HYDROXYPROGESTERONE IN SALIVA , 1979, The Lancet.