OBJECTIVE: To measure salivary testosterone in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: We investigated concentrations of salivary testosterone in 13 women with active SLE and 47 women with inactive SLE, and in 72 healthy female controls. RESULTS: We found a significant decrease in salivary testosterone concentrations in glucocorticoid-treated SLE patients (mean +/- SD 0.06 +/- 0.04 nmoles/liter) but no differences in concentrations in untreated patients (0.09 +/- 0.03 nmoles/liter), compared with the healthy controls (0.11 +/- 0.04 nmoles/liter). CONCLUSION: Glucocorticoid treatment appears to cause a decrease in the salivary testosterone level. Measurement of salivary testosterone is a simple way of monitoring androgen metabolism in patients with SLE.
OBJECTIVE: To measure salivary testosterone in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: We investigated concentrations of salivary testosterone in 13 women with active SLE and 47 women with inactive SLE, and in 72 healthy female controls. RESULTS: We found a significant decrease in salivary testosterone concentrations in glucocorticoid-treated SLEpatients (mean +/- SD 0.06 +/- 0.04 nmoles/liter) but no differences in concentrations in untreated patients (0.09 +/- 0.03 nmoles/liter), compared with the healthy controls (0.11 +/- 0.04 nmoles/liter). CONCLUSION: Glucocorticoid treatment appears to cause a decrease in the salivary testosterone level. Measurement of salivary testosterone is a simple way of monitoring androgen metabolism in patients with SLE.