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Relationship of 24-hour urinary free cortisol to 4-hour salivary morning and afternoon cortisol and cortisone as measured by a time-integrated oral diffusion sink

Journal of Endocrinological Investigation volume 18, pages 374–377 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

The relationship between salivary corticosteroids integrated over 4-hour periods and urinary free cortisol collected over 24 hours was investigated in normal controls. Twenty-one normal volunteers wore “oral diffusion sink” sampling devices in their mouths for two 4-hour periods (08:00–12:00 hours and 13:00–17:00 hours) and on the same day collected a 24-hour urine specimen. Time-integrated salivary corticosteroid concentrations were determined from the sample devices and urinary free cortisol was measured. Salivary corticosteroids were not consistently higher in the morning than in the afternoon period and did not differ between men and women. Urinary free cortisol levels were higher in women. No salivary corticosteroids measure was significantly correlated with urinary free cortisol. We conclude that time-integrated salivary corticosteroids do not reflect urinary free cortisol levels in normal controls.

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Affiliations

  1. Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, C429-1 GH, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA, 52242

    R. G. Kathol M.D.

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance

    R. E. Poland

  3. Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, Cornell University, New York, USA

    P. E. Stokes

  4. Center of Psychobiology and Psychosomatics, University of Trier, Trier, Germany

    S. Wade

Authors
  1. R. G. Kathol M.D.
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  2. R. E. Poland
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  3. P. E. Stokes
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  4. S. Wade
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Kathol, R.G., Poland, R.E., Stokes, P.E. et al. Relationship of 24-hour urinary free cortisol to 4-hour salivary morning and afternoon cortisol and cortisone as measured by a time-integrated oral diffusion sink. J Endocrinol Invest 18, 374–377 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03347841

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03347841

Key-words

  • Salivary cortisol
  • salivary cortisone
  • urinary free cortisol
  • oral diffusion sink
  • HPA axis