ELISAfortheinvitrodiagnosticquantitativemeasurementof17beta-estradiolinhumansaliva.Measurementsobtainedbythisdevicemaybeusedinthediagnosisandtreatmentofvarious
hormonalsexualdisordersandcanbeusedtoevaluateovarianfunction.Thistestisnotintendedforassessingplacentalfunctionincomplicatedpregnancy.

17b-Estradiol[1,3,5(10)-estratriene-3,17b-diol;E2]isaC18steroidhormoneandthemostimportantnaturalestrogen.Itispresentinfemalesandmales.Intheformer,theestrogensstimulatethegrowthofsexorgansandthedevelopmentofsecondarysexualcharacteristics,andtheyalsoaffectthegonadotropinsecretion.
Inthemales,theroleof17b-Estradiolislesswelldefinedalthoughitseemstobeinvolvedintheregulationofgonadotropinsecretion.Innon-pregnantwomen17b-Estradiolisalmostexclusivelyproducedbyovary.Especiallyafterhavingchangedintothemenopause,estrogenesareproducedbytheliver,thebrain,themusclesandbytheadiposetissue,too.Theserialmeasurementof17b-Estradiolduringtheovulatorycycleishelpfultoevaluatetheovarianfunctionforaccurateassessmentoffolliculargrowthandalsoformonitoringtheexponentialincreasein17b-Estradioloccuringeitherinspontaneouscyclesorcyclesstimulatedforinductionofovulationor„superovulation“before„invitro“fertilization.Moreover,themeasurementof17b-Estradiolishelpfultodeterminealackofestrogenes,whichmaybeexpressedasdelayedpuberty,primaryandsecondaryamenorrhoea,andoccursinthemenopause.Otherhormone
assaysarerequiredforproperinterpretationanddifferentialdiagnosis.Theconcentrationofgonadotropinshouldbemeasuredtofindtheoriginofthelackofestrogenes(synthesisorregulation).Thedeterminationof17b-Estradiolisusefulforthediagnosisofpubertaspraecoxofgirls.Concerningmen,thelevelof17b-Estradiolmaybeusedforthedifferentialdiagnosisofgynecomastia.
Beingprincipallyboundtosexhormonebindingglobuline(SHBG)andtoserumalbumin,only1-3%ofestradiolcirculatinginplasmaispresentinitsfreeform.Onlythisportionrepresentstheactivepartintheendocrineregulation.Thefreehormoneisreleasedinequalamountsinsaliva.
Becausethefluctuationsofthe17b-Estradiollevelsdependsalsoonindividualsituations,itisveryconvenienttogetahormoneprofilebyrepeatedlycollectingsalivasamples.