Inhaled fluticasone propionate does not influence salivary cortisol when measured with tandem mass spectrometry

Long-term treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may potentially lead to adrenal insufficiency in children with asthma. A sufficient adrenal response can be tested using protocols involving salivary cortisol measurements. In this study, we investigated in healthy volunteers whether inhalation of fluticasone propionate, a frequently prescribed ICS, interferes with salivary cortisol measurement (with tandem mass spectrometry as well as an immuno-assay). We found that inhalation of fluticasone propionate immediately before saliva collection does not interfere with the salivary cortisol measurement when measured by mass spectrometry. These results suggest that patients with asthma using ICS can be included in research protocols based on salivary cortisol mass spectrometry measurements.