free cortisol in serum

Clinical significance

• most serum cortisol is bound to corticosteroid-binding globulin & albumin. Thus free cortisol is the physiologically active form.
• diminished total, but not free cortisol may be a result of diminished serum albumin

Increases

• hypoglycemia
• stress
• ether narcosis
• pregnancy
• obesity
• depression
• hyperthyroidism
• Cushing' syndrome

Decreases

• hypothyroidism
• cirrhosis
• hepatitis
• adrenal insufficiency

Methods

HPLC, equilibrium dialysis/RIA

More general terms

• special chemistry test