The plasma protein binding of the endogenous glucocorticosteroids is of vital importance for the concentrations in hair and saliva
Krumbholz et al.
The finding, in our words
Self-collected saliva cortisol and cortisone showed good correlation with free, non-protein-bound serum concentrations across a pregnancy cycle, supporting saliva as a decentralised surrogate for monitoring free glucocorticosteroid levels. Plasma protein binding of cortisone decreased from 86.3 per cent to 80.7 per cent during pregnancy while cortisol binding remained stable at approximately 96 per cent.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
In a study of 46 perinatal nicotine users, dried blood spots and saliva were used weekly to measure reproductive hormones, finding that lower postpartum estradiol and greater peripartum declines in oxytocin were associated with increased nicotine craving and use. This demonstrates the feasibility of decentralised microsampling and remote surveys for longitudinal hormone tracking in vulnerable populations.
In women with endometriosis, longer individual exercise sessions were associated with lower levels of salivary c-reactive protein and estradiol, as well as reduced pain and fat mass. The results demonstrate the utility of timed, at-home saliva self-collection for assessing systemic biomarkers in reproductive health research.
Fathers who self-collected saliva at home showed that greater engagement in childcare, particularly cuddling, was associated with a more pronounced diurnal decline in testosterone and lower cortisol levels. This demonstrates saliva sampling can capture behaviourally relevant hormone changes, supporting its use for decentralised monitoring of stress and reproductive hormones.
Afternoon salivary cortisol concentrations were significantly higher when collected in the laboratory than when self-collected at home, indicating that collection setting materially influences results. No significant differences were found across menstrual cycle phases or by relationship status, suggesting these factors do not confound basal cortisol measurements in healthy women.
This study used home self-collected saliva samples to successfully monitor cytokines and cortisol in mothers and infants, finding that a community singing intervention significantly reduced salivary interleukin-6 levels in mothers with postnatal depression.