title: Relationship between salivary progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and cortisol levels throughout the normal menstrual cycle of healthy postmenarcheal girls.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Klinik mit Poliklinik für Kinder und Jugendliche, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. michael.groeschl@kinder.imed.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gröschl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rauh
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Dörr
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone