title: Comparison of saliva and plasma 17-hydroxyprogesterone time-course response to hCG administration in normal men.
abstract: 17-Hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) time-course response to hCG (5000 IU) was studied simultaneously in the saliva and the plasma of 12 adult healthy men. Baseline levels in plasma and saliva were: 1.0 +/- 0.1 ng/ml (mean +/- SEM) and 24 +/- 2 pg/ml respectively. After hCG, a biphasic pattern was observed in both fluids with a similar early response but the peak elicited at 33 h in plasma was not observed in saliva where the levels were lower than those recorded at 24 h. Since saliva steroids are believed to reflect the plasma non-protein bound fraction, this difference was assumed to be due to the decrease of the unbound fraction of plasma 17-OHP in the late afternoon as a consequence of the increase of CBG-bound fraction since at that time cortisol levels are low. The ratio of saliva to plasma 17-OHP levels was significantly correlated with plasma cortisol levels: r = 0.44 (P less than 0.01; n = 140). However the similar response in saliva at 24 and at 48 h after hCG allows the evaluation of the endocrine testicular function using saliva instead of plasma.
mesh_terms: D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D000328:Adult; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone