Relationship between salivary progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and cortisol levels throughout the normal menstrual cycle of healthy postmenarcheal girls.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the usefulness of salivary P and 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) for the assessment of ovarian function. In addition, salivary cortisol (F) levels were measured to assess the role of the adrenal cortex throughout the menstrual cycle.


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
Outpatients in hospital for children and adolescents.


METHODS
Thirty young women with regular menstrual cycles.


METHODS
Saliva collection in the early morning from day 1 of menstrual bleeding until next menses.


METHODS
Salivary P, 17-OHP, and F measured by RIAs.


RESULTS
During days 1-12 of the follicular phase, P and 17-OHP levels remained unchanged (P: 9-29.3 pg/mL; 17-OHP: 8-31 pg/mL). Thereafter, P increased exponentially from day 13 onward, reaching a plateau (mean +/- SEM, 70.1 +/- 9.0 pg/mL) between day 16 and 20, followed by a constant decrease until end of the cycle. The 17-OHP levels increased between day 14 and 17 (maximum: 45.8 +/- 4.5 pg/mL), decreasing rapidly thereafter. The F levels remained unchanged (follicular: 7.5 +/- 1.1 ng/mL; luteal 7.2 +/- 1.1 ng/mL). There was a significant correlation between P and 17-OHP (r(2) = 0.43; P<.001). When calculating ratios of P/F and 17-OHP/F, linear regression yielded a much stronger correlation (r(2) = 0.74; P<.001), although F did not show any correlation to P or 17-OHP.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in salivary 17-OHP levels throughout the menstrual cycle reflect ovarian but not adrenal function.
Gröschl
M
M
Klinik mit Poliklinik für Kinder und Jugendliche, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. michael.groeschl@kinder.imed.uni-erlangen.de
Rauh
M
M
Schmid
P
P
Dörr
H G
HG
D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000502:physiology; D008572:Menarche; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*
D011374:Progesterone; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone