Faculty Opinions recommendation of Hair cortisol levels as a retrospective marker of hypothalamic-pituitary axis activity throughout pregnancy: comparison to salivary cortisol.

Abstract Background: Cortisol concentration is measured in blood, urine, and saliva samples. It has been recently proven that cortisol could be also detected in hair samples. Cortisol measurements in different samples have their own individual characteristics and clinical utility. We aimed to investigate the correlation between hair cortisol concentration and standard cortisol measurements used in clinical practice. Methods: Fifty adult volunteers with a negative history of endocrine disorders were enrolled into the study. Morning serum cortisol (MSC), evening serum cortisol (ESC), evening free salivary cortisol (EFSC), urine free cortisol (UFC) and hair cortisol were analyzed in all participants. Eventually, 41 volunteers were included into the study, whose cortisol concentration in the 1 mg overnight dexamethason suppression test (1mgONDST) were <50 nmol/l, and cortisol levels in serum, saliva and urine were within reference ranges. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was performed for 20 mg of hair strands of the proximal 1 cm hair segments. Results: HCC ranged from 0.3036 to 2.65 nmol/l/mg, and the average value was 0.8125±0.4834 nmol/l/mg. No significant correlations were found between HCC and MSC (rho=0.04419, p=0.7838), HCC and ESC (rho=-0.2071, p=0.1938), HCC and EFSC (rho=0.1005, p=0.532), and HCC and UFC (rho = 0.1793, p = 0.262). Conclusions : This work is another step in the discussion on the application of HCC determinations in clinical practice. Our results have showed no correlations between HCC and single point cortisol assessment in blood, saliva and urine in patients with reference cortisol levels. Keywords: Hair cortisol, Serum cortisol, Salivary cortisol, Urine cortisol, Cortisol assessment, Cortisol correlation

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Association between hair cortisol concentration and metabolic syndrome

Open Medicine ◽

10.1515/med-2021-0298 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 873-881

Author(s):

Eglė Mazgelytė ◽

Asta Mažeikienė ◽

Neringa Burokienė ◽

Rėda Matuzevičienė ◽

Aušra Linkevičiūtė ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Blood Serum ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

High Performance ◽

Cortisol Concentration ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Hair Samples ◽

Lower Social Support ◽

Cortisol Levels

Abstract Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a highly prevalent disorder defined as a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors including obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. It is believed that excessive cortisol secretion due to psychosocial stress-induced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation might be involved in the pathogenesis of MetS. We sought to explore the association between MetS and psychosocial risk factors, as well as cortisol concentration measured in different biological specimens including saliva, blood serum, and hair samples. The study was conducted on a sample of 163 young and middle-aged men who were divided into groups according to the presence of MetS. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was determined using high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection, while blood serum and salivary cortisol levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Lipid metabolism biomarkers were determined using routine laboratory methods. Anthropometric and lifestyle characteristics, as well as self-reported psychosocial indicators, were also examined. Significantly higher HCC and lower social support level among participants with MetS compared with individuals without MetS were found. However, no significant differences in blood serum and salivary cortisol levels were observed between men with and without MetS. In conclusion, chronically elevated cortisol concentration might be a potential contributing factor to the development of MetS.

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Minimally Invasive Markers of Stress and Production Parameters in Dairy Cows before and after the Installation of a Voluntary Milking System

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10040589 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 589

Author(s):

Lucy J. Jerram ◽

Steven Van Winden ◽

Robert C. Fowkes

Keyword(s):

Minimally Invasive ◽

Body Condition ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Production Parameters ◽

Production Values ◽

Before And After ◽

Cortisol Levels ◽

The Impact

Automatic milking systems (AMS) are a low-labour alternative to conventional parlours, with previous studies demonstrating that cows vary in their ability to cope with the change to AMS. Cortisol expression can be combined with other measures to assess stress: saliva and hair have the advantage of requiring minimally invasive sampling. No work has investigated the long-term impact of introduction of AMS. The aims of the study were to assess short-term and chronic stress associated with a change in milking system by measuring salivary and hair cortisol levels and to assess the impact on health and production parameters. Cows from one farm changing their milking system were recruited to the study and sampled for saliva (n = 10) and hair (n = 12) before and after installation. Cortisol levels were measured using a salivary cortisol enzyme immunoassay kit. Body condition, lameness and milk parameters of the whole herd were regularly assessed. Salivary cortisol showed no diurnal pattern but was affected by lameness and gestation. Non-lame cows showed a reduction in salivary cortisol after AMS introduction (p < 0.001). Hair cortisol levels increased after AMS, but it was unclear if this change was seasonal. Milk yield increased by 13% and somatic cell count reduced by 28%. Body condition score was consistently good, but lameness remained high throughout the study. Production values alone do not represent high welfare. The high lameness and associated cortisol levels suggest that cow stress requires consideration when changing milking systems.

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Salivary cortisol as a non-invasive approach to assess stress in dystocic dairy calves

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-85666-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Levente Kovács ◽

Fruzsina Luca Kézér ◽

Szilárd Bodó ◽

Ferenc Ruff ◽

Rupert Palme ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Body Condition ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Sampling Period ◽

Dairy Calves ◽

Birth Process ◽

Invasive Approach ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Saliva Cortisol ◽

Cortisol Levels

AbstractThe intensity and the magnitude of saliva cortisol responses were investigated during the first 48 h following birth in newborn dairy calves which underwent normal (eutocic, EUT, n = 88) and difficult (dystocic, DYS, n = 70) calvings. The effects of parity and body condition of the dam, the duration of parturition, the time spent licking the calf, the sex and birth weight of the calf were also analyzed. Neonatal salivary cortisol concentrations were influenced neither by factors related to the dam (parity, body condition) nor the calf (sex, birth weight). The duration of parturition and the time spent licking the calf also had no effect on salivary cortisol levels. Salivary cortisol concentrations increased rapidly after delivery in both groups to reach their peak levels at 45 and 60 min after delivery in EUT and DYS calves, respectively supporting that the birth process means considerable stress for calves and the immediate postnatal period also appears to be stressful for newborn calves. DYS calves exhibited higher salivary cortisol concentrations compared to EUT ones for 0 (P = 0.022), 15 (P = 0.016), 30 (P = 0.007), 45 (P = 0.003), 60 (P = 0.001) and 120 min (P = 0.001), and for 24 h (P = 0.040), respectively. Peak levels of salivary cortisol and the cortisol release into saliva calculated as AUC were higher in DYS than in EUT calves for the 48-h of the sampling period (P = 0.009 and P = 0.003, respectively). The greater magnitude of saliva cortisol levels in DYS calves compared to EUT ones suggest that difficult parturition means severe stress for bovine neonates and salivary cortisol could be an opportunity for non-invasive assessment of stress during the early neonatal period in cattle.

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Hair cortisol levels in pregnancy as a possible determinant of fetal sex: a longitudinal study

Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease ◽

10.1017/s2040174420001300 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Borja Romero-Gonzalez ◽

Jose A. Puertas-Gonzalez ◽

Raquel Gonzalez-Perez ◽

Marta Davila ◽

Maria Isabel Peralta-Ramirez

Keyword(s):

Low Birthweight ◽

First Trimester ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Negative Results ◽

Stress Vulnerability ◽

Biological Stress ◽

First Trimester Of Pregnancy ◽

Prenatal Distress ◽

Cortisol Levels ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Stress during pregnancy has been widely studied and associated to different variables, usually with negative results for the health of the mother and the newborn, such as having a higher risk of suffering postpartum depression, premature birth, obstetrics complications or low birthweight, among others. However, there are not many lines of research that study the role that the sex of the baby plays on this specific stress and vice versa. Thus, the main objective was to analyse the relationship between the sex of the offspring and the stress of the mothers in the first trimester of pregnancy. In order to achieve this, 108 women had their biological stress measured (trough hair cortisol levels) and psychological stress evaluated (the Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (PSS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PDQ) and the Stress Vulnerability Inventory (IVE)). The results revealed significant differences in maternal hair cortisol levels in the first trimester based on the sex of the baby they had given birth to (t = −2.04; P < 0.05): the concentration of the hormone was higher if the baby was a girl (164.36:54.45-284.87 pg/mg) than if it was a boy (101.13:37.95-193.56 pg/mg). These findings show that the sex of the future baby could be conditioned, among many other variables, by the mother´s stress levels during conception and first weeks of pregnancy. Further research is needed in this area to support our findings.

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Diurnal Salivary Cortisol in Sarcopenic Postmenopausal Women: The OsteoLaus Cohort

Calcified Tissue International ◽

10.1007/s00223-021-00863-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elena Gonzalez Rodriguez ◽

Pedro Marques-Vidal ◽

Bérengère Aubry-Rozier ◽

Georgios Papadakis ◽

Martin Preisig ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Postmenopausal Women ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Body Composition Assessment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

X Ray ◽

Free Cortisol ◽

Cortisol Levels ◽

The Relationship

AbstractSarcopenia, similar to hypercortisolism, is characterized by loss of muscle mass and strength. Cortisol circadian rhythm changes with aging (blunted late-day nadir values) were suggested to contribute to this decline. We aimed to explore the relationship between diurnal salivary cortisol values and sarcopenia diagnosis and its components in postmenopausal women. This is a cross-sectional study within the OsteoLaus population-based cohort in Lausanne (Switzerland). Participants had a body composition assessment by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), a grip strength (GS) measure, and salivary cortisol measures (at awakening, 30 min thereafter, 11 AM (sc-11AM) and 8 PM (sc-8PM)). Associations between salivary cortisol and sarcopenia diagnosed by six different criteria (based on appendicular lean mass (ALM) assessed by DXA, and muscle strength by GS), and its components, were analyzed. 471 women aged > 50 years (63.0 ± 7.5) were included. Various definitions identified different participants as sarcopenic, who consistently presented higher salivary cortisol at 11 AM and/or 8 PM. There were no associations between salivary cortisol levels and ALM measures, either absolute or after correction to height squared (ALM index) or body mass index. GS was inversely correlated to sc-11AM (r = − 0.153, p < 0.001) and sc-8PM (r = − 0.118, p = 0.002). Each 10 nmol/l increase of sc-11AM, respectively sc-8PM, was associated with a GS decrease of 1.758 (SE 0.472) kg, respectively 2.929 (SE 1.115) kg. In postmenopausal women, sarcopenia is associated with higher salivary cortisol levels at 11 AM and 8 PM. An increase of daily free cortisol levels in the physiological range could participate to sarcopenia development by decreasing muscle function in postmenopausal women.

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Commentary on salivary cortisol levels as a biomarker for severity of withdrawal in opioid-exposed newborns

Pediatric Research ◽

10.1038/s41390-020-0817-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 87 (6) ◽

pp. 982-983

Author(s):

Dina E. El-Metwally

Keyword(s):

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Cortisol Levels

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Adverse childhood experiences, daytime salivary cortisol, and depressive symptoms in early adulthood: a longitudinal genetically informed twin study

Translational Psychiatry ◽

10.1038/s41398-021-01538-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Eleonora Iob ◽

Jessie R. Baldwin ◽

Robert Plomin ◽

Andrew Steptoe

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Emotional Abuse ◽

Early Adulthood ◽

Cumulative Exposure ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

Cortisol Levels

AbstractDysregulated hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA)-axis function might underlie the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depression. However, limited research has examined the possible mediating role of the HPA-axis among young people using longitudinal data. Moreover, it remains unclear whether genetic influences could contribute to these associations. Participants were 290 children from the Twins Early Development Study. ACEs were assessed from age 3–11 years. We calculated a cumulative risk score and also derived different ACEs clusters using factor analysis and latent class analysis. HPA-axis activity was indexed by daytime salivary cortisol at age 11. Depressive symptoms were ascertained at age 21. Genetic liability to altered cortisol levels and elevated depressive symptoms was measured using a twin-based method. We performed causal mediation analysis with mixed-effects regression models. The results showed that ACEs cumulative exposure (b = −0.20, p = 0.03), bullying (b = −0.61, p = 0.01), and emotional abuse (b = −0.84, p = 0.02) were associated with lower cortisol levels at age 11. Among participants exposed to multiple ACEs, lower cortisol was related to higher depressive symptoms at age 21 (b = −0.56, p = 0.05). Lower cortisol levels mediated around 10–20% of the total associations of ACEs cumulative exposure, bullying, and dysfunctional parenting/emotional abuse with higher depressive symptoms. Genetic factors contributed to these associations, but the mediation effects of cortisol in the associations of ACEs cumulative exposure (b = 0.16 [0.02–0.34]) and bullying (b = 0.18 [0.01–0.43]) remained when genetic confounding was accounted for. In conclusion, ACEs were linked to elevated depressive symptoms in early adulthood partly through lower cortisol levels in early adolescence, and these relationships were independent of genetic confounding.

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