Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay For Salivary Estradiol And Its Clinical Applications In Stimulating Follicular Cycle Of IVF-ET

OBJECTIVE: 1.To study if enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) is a sensitive and stable method for salivary estradiol(E₂) level. 2.To explore the salivary E₂ concentration in stimulating follicle cycle and to determine whether there is the relationship between the levels of saliva and serum, also between the salivary E₂ level and the sides of follicle.METHODS: Thirteen women participated in this program, daily fasting, unstimulated saliva samples were collected from day eight and single blood sample matching saliva on day ten. At the same time, each woman received ultrasonography for measuring the follicular sides. The concentration of E₂ in serum and saliva was assayed, and the correlation coefficients for matched serum and saliva E₂ levels, and measured follicular capacity and amount and salivary E₂ concentration was calculated. In addition, we studied the precision and specificity of this enzyme immunoassay using other tests.RESULT: The concentration of E₂ in saliva was highly correlated with the effective volume of saliva (r=0.994,P<0.01). The intraassay coefficient of variation(CV) was 7.07% and the interassay CV was 10.71%; there was a highly positive correlation between the levels of E₂ in saliva and serum(r=0.721,P<0.01).The patterns of salivary E₂ in stimulating cycle were similar to that of in natural cycle, but the levelof it was significant higher than that in natural cycle. The mean E2 concentration peak appeared two or three days before taking ovums. As the level of salivary E2 ascending, the volume and numbers of follicle grown up, the correlations between them were significant statistically.CONCLUSION: 1. ELISA is stable, precisive, sensitive and specific method for assaying salivary E2.2.The level of salivary E2 in IVF-ET follicular phase ascends significantly, and can be assayed directly with ELISA, furthermore, it has a significant correlation with that of in serum, and can reflect the change of E2 level in serum and the growth of follicles.