Endocrine Abstracts

Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone with low molecular weight (362 Da) synthesized from cholesterol in the adrenal gland. The release is regulated by the hypothalamic–pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Approximately 95% of the circulating amount is bound to proteins (CBG and albumin), but only the remaining free fraction is biologically active. Serum cortisol level is routinely analysed in laboratory medicine, though the widespread immunoassays (RIA and ECLIA) have the disadv...

Introduction: Both cortisol and vasopressin are stress hormones. Earlier, our group demonstrated that serum concentrations of free cortisol at admissions to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were independent predictors of survival in critically ill patients. Other investigators have demonstrated that serum copeptin, a surrogate marker of vasopressin may also be a predictive factor in this patient population. The aim of our present study was to compare the prognostic roles of serum...