[Noninvasive methods: importance of saliva]

Abstract

Among the "non invasive methods" available for biologists, salivary determinations seem of interest, particularly in endocrinology and clinical pharmacology. Salivary levels are generally well correlated with free plasmatic fractions for some hormones and drugs. For numerous free plasmatic steroids the salivary concentrations are unmodified by salivary flow rate, but varying results were published for drugs and it is necessary to study each drug behaviour before the use of salivary samples for drug monitoring.