Use of saliva in therapeutic drug monitoring

We measured the concentrations of phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, ethosuximide, antipyrine, and caffeine in paired samples of saliva and plasma by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer-computer (GC/MS/COM) and enzyme immunoassay. Mixed saliva was collected for the antipyrine and caffeine studies, parotid saliva for the phenobarbital, primidone, ethosuximide and phenytoin studies. The saliva/plasma (S/P) ratios (by weight) obtained by GC/MS/COM were: phenobarbital, 0.31-0.37; phenytoin, 0.11; ethosuximide, 1.04; antipyrine, 0.83-0.95; caffeine, 0.55. The S/P ratio obtained by enzyme immunoassay were: phenobarbital, 0.32; phenytoin, 0.12; primidone, 0.85. The concentrations of phenytoin, primidone, ethosuximide and antipyrine in saliva correspond to the free fraction of the drug in plasma. When we analyzed samples containing phenobarbital or phenytoin (plasma or saliva) by both techniques, we found that the enzyme immunoassay values were generally higher than GC/MS/COM values, suggesting that the metabolites as well as the parent drug were measured in the immunoassay.