Salivary hormone measurement using LC/MS/MS: specific and patient-friendly tool for assessment of endocrine function

Biol Pharm Bull. 2012;35(9):1401-8. doi: 10.1248/bpb.b212009.

Abstract

Saliva has recently been attracting attention as a patient-friendly available bio-fluid and an alternative to serum/plasma for hormone tests. LC coupled with atmospheric pressure ionization-MS/MS, especially electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS/MS, has been recently valued as a highly specific method in the analysis of salivary hormones. In this article, LC/ESI-MS/MS assays for salivary hormones are overviewed according to the papers that have been published during the last 5 years. Practical derivatization to enhance the detectabilities of hormones in ESI-MS/MS is also discussed, because a major disadvantage of using saliva is low hormone concentrations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Atmospheric Pressure
  • Chromatography, Liquid / methods*
  • Clinical Chemistry Tests / methods*
  • Endocrine System / metabolism
  • Endocrine System / physiology*
  • Hormones / analysis
  • Hormones / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Saliva / metabolism*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods*

Substances

  • Hormones