LuminescenceImmunoassayforthequantitativedeterminationoffreetestosteroneinsalivaandoftotaltestosteroneindilutedserum.Measurementoftestosterone(amalesexhormone)isusedinthediagnosisandtreatmentofdisordersinvolvingthemalesexhormones(androgens),includingprimaryandsecondaryhypogonADIsm,impotenceinmalesandinfemaleshirsutism(excessivehair)andvirilization(masculinization)duetotumors,polycysticovariesandadrenogenitalsyndromes.

Testosterone,aC19-Steroid,isthemosteffectivenaturalhormoneinthefamilyofandrogens.Inmales,itismainlyproducedintheLeydigcellsofthetestes,onlyasmallamountisproducedintheadrenalcortex.Onthewhole,adultmaleshave10to20foldhighertestosteroneplasmaconcentrationsthanfemales.
Inthecirculation,themainpartoftestosteroneisboundtoplasmaproteinslikesexhormonebindingglobuline(SHBG)andalbumine.Only1–2%ofthetestosteroneisunboundandthereforeBIOLOGicallyactive.
Thefreetestosteroneisreleasedviathesalivaryglands.Intheircellsagreatpartofthehormoneistransformedto5a-Dihydrotestosterone.Nevertheless,theconcentrationoftestosteroneinsalivareflectstheleveloffreetestosteroneinplasma.
Testosteronelevelsinfemalesshouldbemeasuredinpatientshavingclinicalsymptomsofvirilismcausedbytheadrenogenitalsyndrome,thepolycysticovarysyndromeorneoplasmsoftheadrenalcortexortheovaries.Duetothefluctuations,repeatedmeasurementsarerecommended.Atherapywithandrogensuppressivedrugscanbefollowedupbytakingcontrols.
Inmenwithsignsofprimaryorsecondaryhypogonadism,confirmatorytestosteronelevelscanbedetermined.
Testosteronetogetherwithcortisollevelsinstressresearchandsportsmedicinerepresentsausefulparameter.Duetothemanyfactorsthatmayinfluencethetestosteronelevels,itisinsomesituationsadvisabletotakeaprofile.Thereforemeasuringthefreetestosteroneinsalivaisaconvenientmethod,duetotheeasiersamplecollectionwithoutrepeatedvenipunctures.

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