Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Cortisol is inactivated to cortisone in the salivary gland by 11β-HSD type 2. Concentrations of cortisone and cortisone in saliva correlate strongly with serum cortisol concentrations (1). Only free, biologically active hormone is measured in saliva, testing is non-invasive and can be performed at home/school, reducing cost and inconvenience to families and NHS resources. We previously reported pilot data from healthy children and young people (CYP) (1). Here we de...

Background: Saliva is ideal for measuring free, biologically active hormones. Measurements of salivary androgens may be valuable in diagnosis and monitoring of adrenal disorders, however the diurnal profile and robust reference ranges in healthy children are currently undefined. We report salivary testosterone, androstenedione (A4), 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), 11-β hydroxyandrostenedione (11β-OHA4) concentrations measured throughout the day in healthy children.<...