2020 · J. Endocrine Society · open access
Kannankeril et al.
Late-night salivary cortisol was a highly sensitive screen, about 97%, for ACTH-dependent Cushing syndrome, but performed poorly for adrenal disease: a validated screening, not confirmatory, test.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
2026
This study found that salivary 11-dehydrodexamethasone correlates strongly with serum dexamethasone, unlike salivary dexamethasone which shows poor agreement. This validation suggests patients could self-collect saliva samples at home to verify dexamethasone absorption for the overnight suppression test.
The Utility of Salivary 11-Dehydrodexamethasone as a Marker of Dexamethasone Absorption — Marshall et al., The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism (paywalled) · source ↗
2026
This study validated a lateral flow fluorescence assay using quantum dots for saliva and europium nanoparticles for serum to detect cortisol within physiological ranges. The test operates in 15 minutes with a handheld reader, supporting point-of-care and at-home monitoring without a cold chain.
Ultrasensitive de novo Protein Sandwich Lateral flow Fluorescence Assay for Cortisol in Saliva and Serum using Quantum dots and Europium Nanoparticles — Bruno et al., Journal of fluorescence (paywalled) · source ↗
2025
Patient-centric microsampling of salivary cortisol shows a 12.6 nmol/L cutoff at 60 min post cosyntropin stimulation, 89% accuracy, 85% sensitivity and 90% specificity, for adrenal insufficiency diagnosis, but reproducibility in healthy volunteers was poor.
Utility of Salivary Cortisol and Cortisone in the Diagnostics of Adrenal Insufficiency — Kvam Hellan et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (paywalled) · source ↗
2025
Testosterone, androstenedione, cortisol and cortisone were measurable from 200 µL saliva, but estradiol fell below quantification and progesterone in under half of samples: only a subset of steroids is reliable in saliva, and not interchangeable with serum.
Non-invasive assessment of free steroid hormones: a high-throughput LC-MS/MS method for salivary steroid quantification — Slettvoll et al., Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry · source ↗
2024
A validated LC-MS/MS assay successfully measured 13 steroid hormones and two synthetic steroids in saliva, requiring only 50 microlitres, or down to 2 to 5 microlitres for nine analytes. This shows saliva's viability for non-invasive, patient-centric microsampling and decentralised monitoring in paediatric, neonatal and adult populations.
An LC-MS/MS assay for simultaneous determination of 13 steroid hormones and two synthetic steroids in saliva: potential utility for paediatric population and beyond — Dahl et al., Scandinavian journal of clinical and laboratory investigation (paywalled) · source ↗