title: Salivary testosterone levels in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure salivary testosterone in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated concentrations of salivary testosterone in 13 women with active SLE and 47 women with inactive SLE, and in 72 healthy female controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant decrease in salivary testosterone concentrations in glucocorticoid-treated SLE patients (mean +/- SD 0.06 +/- 0.04 nmoles/liter) but no differences in concentrations in untreated patients (0.09 +/- 0.03 nmoles/liter), compared with the healthy controls (0.11 +/- 0.04 nmoles/liter).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glucocorticoid treatment appears to cause a decrease in the salivary testosterone level. Measurement of salivary testosterone is a simple way of monitoring androgen metabolism in patients with SLE.
authors.affiliation: Hormone Unit, Ciudad Sanitaria de Bellvitge, Universidad de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vidaller
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ortolá
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bonnin
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Pac
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D008593:Menopause; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D013739:Testosterone