title: Reference values for luteal progesterone measured by salivary radioimmunoassay.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish age-stratified reference values for salivary luteal P levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred thirty-six regularly menstruating women (18 to 48 years of age), screened for weight, exercise, and steroid medication use, collected daily saliva samples for one complete menstrual cycle. Luteal P levels were measured by 3H-RIA, and data were aligned by day of next menstrual onset. Means (+/- 1 SD range) and percentiles, calculated using both untransformed and log transformed data, were calculated for each luteal day and for indices of luteal P production.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reference values for salivary daily luteal P levels and indices of luteal P are presented for three age groups (18 to 24 years, 25 to 39 years, and 40 to 48 years).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The age-stratified reference values presented here can be used, without collateral clinical procedures, to assess salivary luteal P levels. Salivary monitoring is ideally suited for research and long-term clinical observation, but the characteristics of salivary P data may limit the usefulness of these values for individual diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lipson
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Ellison
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone