Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Impairment of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis has been reported widely in children treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The integrity of HPA axis has been assessed using low (500 ng/1.73 m2 body surface area) and standard (250 mg) dose short synacthen tests (SST). Serum cortisol is measured at 0, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 min intervals in the low dose SST (LDSST) and at 0, 30 and 60 min in the standard dose SST (SDSST). The L...

Background: Salivary biomarkers are attractive diagnostic tools for paediatric practice, enabling non-invasive sampling at home. Salivary cortisol (SCl) and cortisone (SCn) are sensitive markers of adrenal insufficiency during inhaled corticosteroid treatment(1). SCn is reported to be the best correlate of plasma cortisol. Measurements of SCl may not be necessary, reducing cost and sample volumes.Eleven beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2...