Applications of Hair as a Record of Systemic Exposure to Cortisol

January 2019

Jeffrey Levine

hair cortisol content HCC cortisol Cushing’s syndrome Addison’s disease biomarker hair growth rate nitrogen evaporation NaOH hair digestion

TLDR Hair cortisol content can indicate cortisol exposure and varies with age, puberty, and BMI in youth.

The study explored hair cortisol content (HCC) as a biomarker for systemic cortisol exposure, focusing on hair growth rates in Cushing’s and Addison’s patients, and the relationship between HCC and factors like age, puberty, sex, and BMI in healthy children and adolescents. It found that a 0.75 cm/month hair growth rate better matched 50% of patients' medical records compared to the assumed 1 cm/month rate. HCC was positively correlated with age, puberty status, and BMI in children aged 7-17. Additionally, nitrogen evaporation improved cortisol recovery over air evaporation, and using NaOH for hair digestion expedited cortisol extraction. These findings enhanced methods for HCC analysis and clarified normal HCC variations in youth.

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