Recent News

Some changes were made in the price list and profiles April 2005. Some items we would like to bring to your attention and some updates are listed below.

• We have discontinued the ASA Plus profile. There have been very few requests for this in the past year. We don't think the antigliadin assay is a very informative test either in saliva or serum. A better test for gluten intolerance is to take the patient off gluten for several weeks and observe symptoms. However, sIgA is a good test for mucosal immunity and we will continue to offer this as an add on to any profile. If you would like more information about the use of saliva sIgA testing, please contact us for a paper.
• The price of the Male Hormone Assessment has been adjusted to put it more in line with costs. Male levels of testosterone are often as much as five times higher in the morning than at night requiring the multiple sampling. Female levels tend to have only a two or threefold variation. However, in both men and women, testosterone levels can be elevated in the hour following a physical work out. We also have preliminary data showing testosterone levels go up when people have colds or flu or other minor ailments.
• We offer estriol testing as an add on to any profile. We recommend that this test be ordered only when a patient is taking supplements that may contain estriol. If you would like more information about this test, please let us know and we will send you a paper summarizing our validation studies.
• There has been a lot of discussion in the medical literature about the use of thyroid screening, particularly in older adults. We published a paper in December ( J Lab Clin Med 2004; 144:307-12) on the use of filter paper dried blood spots for thyroid antibody screening in adults. The profile we offer includes TSH, the best measure of hypothyroidism as it tests the physiological response of the body to low thyroxine and thyroid antibodies, which are related to the major cause of hypothyroidism in adults and measure the risk of developing hypothyroidism in the near future. Please let us know if you would like a copy of our paper.
• Adjustments are being made to the commentaries to incorporate recent information. Look for the revision note on the header.

Papers available

• The use of filter paper-dried blood spots for thyroid-antibody screening in adults. LFHofman, TP Foley, JJ Henry and EWNaylor. J Lab Clin Med 2004; 144: 307-312
• Preliminary Pediatric Reference Range for Secretory IgA in Saliva Using an Enzyme Immunoassay. LF Hofman, T Le. Clinical Chemistry 2002;48:
• Human saliva as a diagnostic specimen. LFHofman. J. Nutr.2001; 131: 1621S-1625S
• Salivary testing for estriol. Saliva Testing And Reference lab. 2004

Our Mission

Saliva Testing And Reference laboratory, Inc. is a specialty laboratory using alternative specimens such as saliva and filter paper blood spots for diagnostic testing. Our mission is to offer laboratory testing which can be used to promote health by aiding in the diagnosis of disease and the monitoring of therapies by using the most noninvasive specimen that can provide a precise and accurate result.

Scientifically Valid
Saliva Testing And Reference laboratory, Inc. utilizes an enzyme immunoassay methodology to assess salivary levels of hormones. Enzyme immunoassay is a technique that is also widely utilized to assess hormones and other biological markers in blood. The non-invasive nature and ease of saliva specimen collection, the ability to assess bio-available hormone levels, and the ability to collect multiple samples for proper pattern analysis are some of the cited reasons as to why saliva assessment is the test of choice for hormone studies. Over 1,000 scientific papers have been written on the use of saliva for hormone assessment.

Clinically Significant
There are hundreds of papers that discuss the use of saliva for the assessment of adrenal, gonadal and pineal dysfunction, and the monitoring of therapeutic intervention. Practicing physicians have treated thousands of patients using these tests.

Scientific Experience
Lindsay Hofman, PhD, DABCC, FACB is a clinical chemist with over 25 years of experience in the use of saliva for diagnostic testing. She has served as advisor and consultant for alternative specimen analysis to both private and government laboratories. As President of Saliva Testing And Reference laboratory she brings the scientific validity and technical experience that is required for the precision and accuracy of these tests.

Research & Development
As a service laboratory, Saliva Testing And Reference laboratory, Inc. provides scientifically valid and clinically relevant salivary hormone assessment panels to healthcare providers. We also provide in-house contract testing for investigators who do not have their own facilities or who choose not to run their own assays. Researchers and investigators requiring such services are encouraged to consult with Lindsay Hofman, PhD, DABCC, FACB to discuss these services.