This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by MURPHY, B. E. P. Articles by MULROW, P.J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by MURPHY, B. E. P. Articles by MULROW, P.J.

Lack of Specificity of Cortisol Determinations in Human Urine

Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Surgery, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, Ohio 43699

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. B. E. Pearson Murphy, Montreal General Hospital, R. 7811, Livingston Hall, 1650 Cedar, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A4, Canada.

The specificity of 7 different binding proteins (4 antibodies and 3 transins) was investigated in human urine. Pregnant and nonpregnant urine samples were extracted and chromatographed, and values were compared before and after chromatography. Without chromatography, all methods grossly overestimated the amount of cortisol present. Four methods gave higher values than the other 3 even after chromatography, possibly due to cross-reactivity with 20-dihydrocortisone which coelutes in part with cortisol. Interference also occurred in both the less polar and the more polar regions of the chromatograms with all assay systems. Values for a series of 20 urines were closely similar for the RTAs but widely divergent for the RIAs. Close correlations were found for all of the RTAs with each other and with the RIAs if simple methylene chloride extraction was used. A high degree of correlation was also found between extracted and unextracted urine values in the 4 systems studied. Cortisol values by RTA (dog transcortin) after chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 gave mean values of 20.5 ± 9.7 jug/day in men, 14.0 ± 5.7 ju.g/day in cycling women, and 38.0 ± 24.5 jug/day in women in late pregnancy (n = 6 in each group). It is concluded that there is no simple practical method currently available for true cortisol in urine, but that the measurement of adrenal corticoids in urine can afford an accurate reflection of adrenocortical function provided there is no gross metabolic abnormality present and that the normal range is carefully established for each particular method used.

^* Career Investigator, Medical Research Council of Canada.

Received December 12, 1980.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. Wood, D. H Ducroq, H. L Fraser, S. Gillingwater, C. Evans, A. J Pickett, D. W Rees, R. John, and A. Turkes Measurement of urinary free cortisol by tandem mass spectrometry and comparison with results obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and two commercial immunoassays Ann Clin Biochem, July 1, 2008; 45(4): 380 - 388. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. E. P. Murphy Allopregnanolone Assays J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., March 1, 2001; 86(3): 1425 - 1425. [Full Text]

				B. E. P. Murphy How Much ""UFC"" Is Really Cortisol? Clin. Chem., June 1, 2000; 46(6): 793 - 794. [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. E. P. Murphy Lack of Specificity of Urinary Free Cortisol Determinations: Why Does It Continue? J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 1999; 84(6): 2258a - 2259. [Full Text]

				M. V. Mericq and G. B. Cutler Jr. High Fluid Intake Increases Urine Free Cortisol Excretion in Normal Subjects J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., February 1, 1998; 83(2): 682 - 684. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				U. Turpeinen, H. Markkanen, M. Valimaki, and U.-H. Stenman Determination of urinary free cortisol by HPLC Clin. Chem., August 1, 1997; 43(8): 1386 - 1391. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Morineau, J. Gosling, M.-C. Patricot, H. Soliman, P. Boudou, A. A. Halnak, G. Le Brun, J.-L. Brerault, R. Julien, J.-M. Villette, et al. Convenient chromatographic prepurification step before measurement of urinary cortisol by radioimmunoassay Clin. Chem., May 1, 1997; 43(5): 786 - 793. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C.-L. Lin, T.-J. Wu, D. A. Machacek, N.-S. Jiang, and P. C. Kao Urinary Free Cortisol and Cortisone Determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography in the Diagnosis of Cushing's Syndrome J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 1997; 82(1): 151 - 155. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. R. Ervin, R. M. Palmour, B. E. Pearson Murphy, R. Prince, and R. C. Simons The Psychobiology of Trance: II: Physiological and Endocrine Correlates Transcultural Psychiatry, January 1, 1988; 25(4): 267 - 284. [PDF]

				W. A. Brown, G. Keitner, C. B. Qualls, and R. Haier The Dexamethasone Suppression Test and Pituitary-Adrenocortical Function Arch Gen Psychiatry, February 1, 1985; 42(2): 121 - 123. [Abstract] [PDF]