Salivary testosterone in cryptorchid pubertal boys: a parameter to assess the gonadal function

Salivary excretory pattern of testosterone in substitutive therapy with testosterone enanthate

OBJECTIVE

To determine salivary and serum T levels by an RIA method after a single injection of 250 mg IM of commercially available T enanthate.

DESIGN

Research study.

SETTING

Patients attended in a hospital environment.

PATIENTS

Sixteen men with secondary hypogonadism.

INTERVENTIONS

Testosterone enanthate was administered, and salivary samples were taken before the injection. Thereafter, these samples were obtained daily until day 7 and then on alternate days until day 28 after injection. Blood samples were taken previously and after the injection (5 samples during the month).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Salivary and serum T.

RESULTS

Salivary T levels rose from 3.46 +/- 3.16 to 13.82 +/- 7.78 ng/100 mL (0.12 +/- 0.11 to 0.48 +/- 0.27 nmol/L) within 24 hours and remained in that range until day 7. From day 9, 7.20 +/- 2.88 ng/100 mL (0.25 +/- 0.10 nmol/L), a progressive decrease of these values was observed until day 14: 5.18 +/- 2.88 ng/100 mL (0.18 +/- 0.10 nmol/L). From day 16 until day 28, salivary concentrations returned to hypogonadal levels.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that T salivary concentrations may be applied to assess the effectiveness of T substitutive therapy in hypogonadal men and could replace serum in the monitoring of this type of therapy.

Steroid assays in saliva: a method to detect plasmatic contaminations

Plasmatic and salivary levels of six steroid hormones in adult males and females are given and compared to the data of the literature. These steroids are: cortisol (F), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) and its sulphate (DHAS), androstenedione (A), testosterone (T) and 11 beta OH androstenedione (OHA). The salivary assay of the last compound is an original. The correlations between salivary and plasmatic values are presented and confirm that this method is a reliable alternative for hormonal investigations. From these data and from those of the literature, the salivary versus plasmatic ratio are calculated. From the fact that high concentrations of DHAS in saliva generally stem from blood contamination, we derive a method to estimate the amount of this contamination and its impact on other steroids measured on the same saliva sample.