Salivary cortisol reflects the free fraction of serum cortisol. Monitoring salivary cortisol may be a promising alternative method for assessing serum cortisol in some clinical situations. We aimed to compare the reliability of salivary vs. serum cortisol during ACTH test. 84 subjects (mean age 63.2; 24-89 years; n=66 males) suspected for adrenocortical insufficiency underwent an ACTH test. Pat...

Life-history theory predicts that stress responses should be muted to maximize reproductive fitness. Yet, the relationship between stress and reproduction for semelparous salmon is unusual because successfully spawning individuals have elevated plasma cortisol levels. To tease apart the effects of high baseline cortisol levels and stress-induced elevation of cortisol titers, we determined how v...

BACKGROUND Adjustment of daily hydrocortisone dose on clinical criteria lacks sensitivity for fine tuning. Long term hydrocortisone (HC) over-replacement may lead to increased morbidity and mortality in patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI). Biochemical criteria may help detecting over- or under-replacement but have been poorly evaluated. METHODS Multicenter, institutional, pharmacokinetic...

Stroke is defined as a neurological deficit which lasts more than 24 h or leads to death, caused by focal acute injury the central nervous system with vascular origin. Strokes are one of greatest challenges in public health. As an acutely stressful event, strokes have been associated increased release stress hormone cortisol. Elevated cortisol has linked deleterious impacts on brain, particular...

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated whether measures of waking or diurnal cortisol secretion, or self-reported psychological disturbances differed among police officers with a Period3 (PER3) clock gene length polymorphism. METHODS The cortisol awakening response was characterized via the area under the salivary cortisol curve with respect to the increase (AUCI) or total waking cortisol (AUCG). Diu...

Human circadian rhythms were once thought to be insensitive to light, with synchronization to the 24-hour day accomplished either through social contacts or the sleep-wake schedule. Yet the demonstration of an intensity-dependent neuroendocrine response to bright light has led to renewed consideration of light as a possible synchronizer of the human circadian pacemaker. In a laboratory study, t...

Background: Inadequate depth of anesthesia leads to release of stress hormones. Electroencephalographic monitoring by bispectral index is a guide to asses the depth of anesthesia. The aim of the present study was to measure the serum cortisol levels as an index of stress response in patients who are candidates for coronary artery bypass graft surgery in two groups of patients. Methods: Seventy-...