Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
2724691 
Technical Report 
Saliva lithium levels: clinical applications 
Neu, C; Di Mascio, A 
1977 
IPA/77/279118 
Bull 
REF 4 
55-56 
English 
IPA COPYRIGHT: ASHP Correlations among lithium concentrations in serum, parotid fluid, and mixed saliva were determined in 19 patients on lithium carbonate (I) therapy. In a preliminary study in a single patient, the highest I concentration was observed 75 min after oral ingestion of 750 mg, both in serum and parotid fluid (1.25 and 3.00 meq/l respectively), while in mixed saliva, the level was greatest 3 hr after ingestion (3.10 meq/l). Correlation coefficients for saliva to serum and parotid fluid to serum were identical (Pearson r = 0.94). A near constant ratio was found for saliva to serum (2.35, SD = 0.17) and for parotid fluid to serum (2.20, SD = 0.20). In the primary study, the average serum I level for 19 patients was 0.69 meq/l. Mean levels for saliva and parotid fluids were 1.56 and 1.52 meq/l respectively. The correlation between individual parotid fluid and serum levels was 0.93 while for mixed saliva and serum it was 0.90. These findings suggest that saliva or parotid fluid I levels can be used as reliable indicators in monitoring therapy with I. Since this study was performed in patients who received only I, these results should not be extrapolated to patients receiving other psychoactive drugs in addition to I. Since many of these drugs have anticholinergic activity, resulting saliva flow inhibition may alter the validity of salivary I levels.