SALIVARY TESTOSTERONE LEVELS IN MALE-ADOLESCENTS WITH CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

Purpose. Salivary testosterone concentrations have been used for monit oring testosterone levels in male adolescents and have been found to c orrelate closely with serum values. Data are lacking on such measureme nts in male adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF), in which salivary g land abnormalities are commonly seen. Delayed sexual maturation occurs in many patients with CF, particularly those with severe disease. We examined the usefulness of salivary testosterone collection and measur ement in male adolescents with CF. Methods. Forty boys with CF and 35 healthy control boys participated in the study. All boys were Tanner s taged and had serum and salivary testosterone concentrations measured. Testosterone assays were performed using standard radioimmunoassay te chniques. Results. The boys with CF were slightly older,lighter in bod y weight, and shorter. Serum and salivary testosterone concentrations were lower in the CF group than in the control group. A significant co rrelation was found between serum and salivary testosterone levels for boys with CF (r = .84) and for the control boys (r = .86). Mean saliv ary testosterone increased as age progressed and as Tanner stage advan ced. Conclusions. These results demonstrate that salivary testosterone measurements correlate well with serum values in male adolescents wit h CF and can be used in the monitoring of pubertal status.