Extraction and Analysis of Cortisol from Human and Monkey Hair

January 2014 in “ Journal of Visualized Experiments ”

Jerrold S. Meyer, Melinda A. Novak, Amanda F. Hamel, Kendra Rosenberg

cortisol hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system enzyme immunoassay chronic stress

Studysummary This study developed and validated a method for extracting cortisol from human and animal hair, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for assessing chronic stress exposure.

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research Effects of Shampoo and Water Washing on Hair Cortisol Concentrations

122 citations , October 2010 in “Clinica Chimica Acta”

In this study, washing rhesus monkey hair with water or shampoo significantly reduced cortisol levels, suggesting potential underestimation of chronic stress hormone deposition in hair due to washing.

research Hair Analysis Provides A Historical Record Of Cortisol Levels In Cushing's Syndrome

217 citations , July 2009 in “Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes”

This study found that hair cortisol levels were significantly higher in patients with Cushing's Syndrome compared to healthy controls, suggesting hair analysis can provide historical information on cortisol exposure.

Hair as a Retrospective Calendar of Cortisol Production—Increased Cortisol Incorporation into Hair in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

research Hair as a Retrospective Calendar of Cortisol Production—Increased Cortisol Incorporation into Hair in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

501 citations , October 2008 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology”

This study suggests that cortisol measured in human hair can effectively reflect increased production for up to six months, but its retrospective accuracy may be limited due to rapid decline in levels.

research Measurement of Cortisol in Human Hair as a Biomarker of Systemic Exposure

567 citations , October 2007 in “Clinical and investigative medicine”

This study described a new assay for measuring cortisol in hair and found it may serve as a useful biomarker for long-term cortisol exposure, correlating with 24-hour urine cortisol levels in non-obese subjects.

research Human Hair Follicles Display a Functional Equivalent of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis and Synthesize Cortisol

489 citations , June 2005 in “The FASEB Journal”

This study found that human scalp hair follicles can respond to corticotropin releasing hormone stimulation similarly to the classical HPA axis, including up-regulating cortisol production and activating neuroendocrine feedback loops.