title: Salivary and plasma androstenedione and 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels in congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
abstract: Androstenedione (A-dione) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) levels were measured in matched samples of saliva and of plasma collected from patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (eight patients) and 11-hydroxylase deficiency (one patient). Positive correlations were found between salivary and plasma values of either steroid with correlation coefficients of 0.968 for A-dione and 0.935 for 17-OHP. All five inadequately treated patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency had greatly elevated plasma and salivary 17-OHP concentrations compared to values in age matched controls. In two of three well controlled patients plasma 17-OHP levels were less than 40 nmol/liter and salivary levels were less than 1.5 nmol/liter, the upper limits which have been formulated as a guideline for monitoring control in treated CAH patients. Patients in good control had A-dione levels in plasma (0.6-2.2 nmol/liter) and saliva (0.04-0.15 nmol/liter) which were both within the normal range for prepubertal children (0.14-2.40 nmol/liter and 0.02-0.25 nmol/liter respectively). Patients in poor control had A-dione levels in plasma of 5.2-25.4 nmol and in saliva of 0.50-2.21 nmol/liter. These values exceeded without exception the normal ranges for their respective ages. Salivary A-dione and 17-OHP determinations are a useful adjunct in the diagnosis and the monitoring of CAH patients since they can be obtained easily and nonstressfully.
mesh_terms: D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D000293:Adolescent; D000312:Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones; D000735:Androstenedione; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone