The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of low-dose combined oral contraception (COC) on basal and stimulated (1 μg ACTH test) levels of serum and salivary cortisol (F), cortisone and on basal serum cortisol binding globulin (CBG), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), dehydroepiadrosterone (DHEA) and calculated free cortisol in healthy young women. Three-month administration of COC resulted in 1) significant increase of basal (454.0±125.0 to 860.9±179.7 nmol/l) and ACTH-stimulated serum cortisol in 30th min (652.3±60.5 to 1374.1±240.6 nmol/l); 2) no significant change of basal (15.4±7.3 to 18.9±8.5 nmol/l) and ACTH-stimulated salivary cortisol at the 30th min (32.4±8.8 to 32.9±9.0 nmol/l); 3) no significant change of basal serum cortisone (38,8±7.68 to 45.2±24.2 nmol/l) and ACTH-stimulated cortisone at the 30th (34.8±10.9 to 47.0±35.7 nmol/l); 4) significant increase of basal ACTH (17.2±9.0 to 38.2±29.4 ng/l), CBG (991.0±161.0 to 2332.0±428.0 nmol/l), and 5) no significant change of basal DHEA (24.6±15.7 to 22.6±11.7 μmol/l) and calculated basal value for free cortisol (22.8±14.9 to 19.2±6.9nmol/l). In conclusions, higher basal and ACTH-stimulated serum cortisol were found after three-month administration of COC, while basal and stimulated salivary cortisol were not significantly affected. Therefore, salivary cortisol can be used for assessment of adrenal function in women regularly using COC., K. Šimůnková, L. Stárka, M. Hill, L. Kříž, R. Hampl, K. Vondra., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The ability to predict the success or failure of smoking cessation efforts will be useful for clinical practice. Stress response is regulated by two primary neuroendocrine systems. Salivary cortisol has been used as a marker for the hypothalamuspituitary- adrenocortical axis and salivary α-amylase as a marker for the sympathetic adrenomedullary system. We studied 62 chronic smokers (34 women and 28 men with an average age of 45.2±12.9 years). The levels of salivary cortisol and salivary α-amylase were measured during the period of active smoking, and 6 weeks and 24 weeks after quitting. We analyzed the men separately from the women. The men who were unsuccessful in cessation showed significantly higher levels of salivary α-amylase over the entire course of the cessation attempt. Before stopping smoking, salivary cortisol levels were higher among the men who were unsuccessful in smoking cessation. After quitting, there were no differences between this group and the men who were successful in cessation. In women we found no differences between groups of successful and unsuccessful ex-smokers during cessation. In conclusions, increased levels of salivary α-amylase before and during smoking cessation may predict failure to quit in men. On the other hand, no advantage was found in predicting the failure to quit in women. The results of our study support previously described gender differences in smoking cessation., M. Dušková ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
To date, a single report has appeared on the use of salivary cortisol for adrenal function testing with a low dose ACTH, although 1 μg has become preferred as a more physiological stimulus than the commonly used 250 μg ACTH test. Our present study was aimed to obtain physiological data on changes of free salivary cortisol after 1 μg ACTH stimulation. This approach was compared with the common method based on the changes of total serum cortisol. Intravenous, low-dose ACTH test was performed in 15 healthy women (aged 22-40 years) with normal body weight, not using hormonal contraceptives, in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Blood and saliva for determination of cortisol were collected before ACTH administration and 30 and 60 min after ACTH administration. Basal concentration of salivary cortisol (mean ± S.E.M., 15.9±1.96 nmol/l) increased after 1 μg ACTH to 29.1±2.01 nmol/l after 30 min, and to 27.4±2.15 nmol/l after 60 min. The differences between basal and stimulated values were highly significant (p<0.0001). The values of salivary cortisol displayed very little interindividual variability (p<0.04) in contrast to total serum cortisol values (p<0.0001) A comparison of areas under the curve (AUC) related to initial values indicated significantly higher AUC values for salivary cortisol than for total serum cortisol (1.89±0.88 vs. 1.22±0.19, p<0.01). Correlation analysis of serum and salivary cortisol levels showed a borderline relationship between basal levels (r=0.5183, p=0.0525); correlations after stimulation were not significant. Low-dose ACTH administration appeared as a sufficient stimulus for increasing salivary cortisol to a range considered as a normal adrenal functional reserve., K. Šimůnková, R. Hampl, M. Hill, J. Doucha, L. Stárka, K. Vondra., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
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. Patients were divided based on peak serum cortisol into hypocortical group with cortisol <500 nmol/l and to reference group cortisol >500 nmol/l. Median serum cortisol levels in reference gr oup were 445, 766, and 902 nmol/l at 0, 30, and 60 minutes, respecti vely, and in hypocortical group were 256, 394, and 453 nmol/l. Median salivary cortisol levels were 19.02, 40.02, and 62.1 nmol/l in reference group, and 9.60, 14.08, and 13.28 nmol/l in hypoco rtical group. Obtained values showed good correlation between serum and salivary cortisol (p<0.0001). The percentage of explained variability R 2 (coefficient of determination for linear model) representing a measure of agreement betwee n experimental values and predictions for repeated measur es ANOVA, was significantly higher (p=0.021) for serum cortisol (R 2 =93.4 %) when compared to the salivary cortisol (R 2 =89.3 %). A stronger discriminating power of serum versus salivary cortisol suggests that it seems to be slightly, but statistically significantly more appropriate marker of adrenocortical reserve in ACTH test., M. Kosák ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Stať referuje o výzkumu provedeném s atraktivním výzkumným souborem a hypotézou,kterou se zdálo snadné potvrdit. Vzhledem k okolnostem, které nebyly předmětem úvah před započetím výzkumu, však vyšly výsledky jinak. Autorka se zpětně zamýšlí nad výsledky výzkumu a závěry, které z nich lze s odstupem let vyvodit.