Cortisol  ELISA
Specification:
Catalog Number: CortisolHU-LB03
Description: Cortisol  ELISA
Sample Type: Serum
Sample Size: 50 µl
Available Sizes: 96 Wells
Range: 0-500 ng/ml
Sensitivity: 5.0 ng/ml
Incubation: 1 hour(s) 20 minutes (s)
Protocol: Cortisol  ELISA
Regulatory Status: RUO
Product Distribution: Available worldwide
Cortisol ELISA is for the direct quantitative determination of Cortisol by enzyme immunoassay in human Serum. Cortisol is the most abundant circulating steroid and the major glucocorticoid secreted by the adrenal cortex.
Cortisol (MW 362.5), also called hydrocortisone or compound F, is the major glucocorticoid produced by the adrenal cortex. As other adrenal steroids, cortisol synthesis starts from cholesterol which is modifi ed through a series of enzymatic steps. Th e fi rst enzymatic and rate-limiting step of steroidogenesis from cholesterol is modulated by the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) produced by the pituitary, which is in turn regulated by hypothalamic corticototropin releasing factor (CRF). As a negative feedback, cortisol controls steroidogenesis through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. As cortisol levels in blood rise, ACTH and CRF secretion is inhibited. In plasma, only a small amount of cortisol circulates freely as most of the molecules are bound to either corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) or albumin. Cortisol acts through specifi c intracellular receptors and modulates numerous physiological processes including regulation of carbohydrate metabolism, electrolyte balance, vascular tone, bone metabolism. Cortisol plays also a role in infl ammation, hypersensitivity, immunosuppresion , and disease resistance. Cortisol production has an ACTH-dependent circadian rhythm with a peak level in the morning and a nadir at night. However cortisol levels can be infl uenced by stress. Elevated levels of cortisol have been described in patients with cushing’s disease (ACTH hypersecretion) or adrenal tumors. Low cortisol level stems primarily from adrenal
insuffi ciency (Addison’s disease).