[Radioimmunologic determination of the progestagen dienogest in plasma and saliva]

Following oral administration of 2 mg of dienogest (17 alpha-cyanomethyl-17 beta-hydroxy-4,9-estradien-3-one) to female volunteers, the dienogest concentration courses in plasma and saliva were determined by means of a specific radioimmunoassay (RIA). Three different procedures of the plasma sample preparation prior to the RIA were compared. The dienogest RIA was directly applied to saliva. There is a high correlation between the dienogest concentrations in plasma and saliva. The dienogest plasma elimination half life of about 9 hrs is not significantly different from that derived from saliva. The salivary dienogest concentrations indicate a relatively high non-protein bound portion of this steroid drug in plasma. Following repeated oral administration of dienogest (tau = 24 hrs), there is no significant cumulation of plasma dienogest.