CORTISOL ELISA

Features

European Union: for in vitro diagnostic use

Rest of the world: for research use only!

The total assay time is less than 1.5 hours

The kit measures cortisol

Assay format is 96 wells

Quality Control is ready to use

Calibrators are ready to use

For routine analysis

Research topic

Autoimmunity, Immune Response, Infection and Inflammation, Reproduction, Steroid hormones

Summary

Cortisol is a steroid hormone released from the adrenal cortex in response to a hormone called ACTH (produced by the pituitary gland), it is involved in the response to stress; it increases blood pressure, blood sugar levels, may cause infertility in women, and suppresses the immune system. Cortisol acts through specific intracellular receptors and has effects in numerous physiologic systems including immune function, glucose-counter regulation, vascular tone, substrate utilization and bone metabolism. Cortisol is excreted primarily in urine in an unbound (free) form. Cortisol is bound, in plasma, from corticosteroid- binding globulin (CBG, transcotin), with high affinity, and from albumin. Only free cortisol is available to most receptors. The amount of cortisol present in the serum undergoes diurnal variation, with the highest levels present in the early morning, and lower levels in the evening, several hours after the onset of sleep. Highest levels are at about 6-8 a.m. and lowest levels are at about midnight. These normal endogenous functions are the basis for the physiological consequences of chronic stress - prolonged cortisol secretion causes muscle wastage, hyperglycaemia, and suppresses immune / inflammatory responses. The same consequences arise from long-term use of glucocorticoid drugs.