TheDetectX^®CortisolEnzymeImmunoassaykitisdesignedtoquantitativelymeasurecortisolpresentindriedfecalextracts,saliva,urine,serum,plasmaandculturemediasamples.Thiskitmeasurestotalcortisolinextractedsamples,serumandplasmaandfreecortisolinsalivaandurine.Acortisolstandardisprovidedtogenerateastandardcurvefortheassay.StandardsordilutedsamplesarePipettedintoaclearmicrotiterplatecoatedwithanantibodytocapturemouseantibodies.Acortisol-peroxidaseconjugateisaddedtothestandardsandsamplesinthewells.Thebindingreactionisinitiatedbytheadditionofamonoclonalantibodytocortisoltoeachwell.Afteran1hourincubationtheplateiswashedandsubstrateisadded.Thesubstratereactswiththeboundcortisol-peroxidaseconjugate.Afterashortincubationthecolorreactionisreadat450nm.

Cortisolistheprimaryglucocorticoidproducedandsecretedbytheadrenalcortex.Itisoftenreferredtoasthe“stresshormone”asitisinvolvedintheresponsetostressanditaffectsbloodpressure,bloodsugarlevels,andotheractionsofstressadaptation.Immunologically,cortisolfunctionsasanimportantanti-inflammatoryandplaysaroleinhypersensitivity,immunosuppression,anddiseaseresistance.Inthemetabolicaspect,cortisolpromotesgluconeogenesis,liverglycogendeposition,andthereductionofglucoseutilization.ProductionofcortisolfollowsanACTH-dependentcircADIanrhythm,withapeaklevelinthemorninganddecreasinglevelsthroughouttheday.Mostserumcortisol,allbutabout4%,isboundtoproteinsincludingcorticosteroidbindingglobulinandserumalbumin.Onlyfreecortisolisavailabletomostreceptorsanditisthroughthesereceptorsthatphysiologicalprocessesaremodulated.Abnormalcortisollevelsarebeingevaluatedforcorrelationwithavarietyofdifferentconditions,suchasprostatecancer,depression,andschizophrenia.ItisalreadyknownthatabnormallevelsofcortisolareinvolvedinCushing’sSyndromeandAddison’sdisease.