ACTH pituitary stress?
ACTH from EDTA plasma.
The ACTH blood test is crucial for diagnosing hormonal disorders such as Cushing's disease and adrenal insufficiency. It measures ACTH levels, which are essential for adrenal function. Abnormalities in ACTH levels can cause serious health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure and diabetes. Early detection and treatment are essential to prevent complications, making the ACTH test invaluable to physicians and endocrinologists.
Freezing plasma
Please note: This test can only be performed at the lab in Maastricht or Mönchengladbach.
Please note: ACTH cannot be requested as a follow-up test.
The pituitary gland is a gland that regulates virtually all hormone-producing organs and processes in the body. During stress, the pituitary gland releases ACTH into the blood.
The Method:
Immunoradiometric assay. The blood is immediately frozen at -20°C.
ACTH degrades more slowly in EDTA plasma (t1/2 = 10 hours) than in serum (t1/2 = 30 minutes).
Therefore, we use only EDTA plasma
Conversion factor
pg/ml × 0.22 = pmol/l
Reference value(s)
Morning (8:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.): 2.2–13.2 pmol/L
Evening (8:00 PM–10:00 PM): 1.3–6.6 pmol/L
Test to assess adrenal function (Addison’s disease, Cushing’s disease), Suspected ectopic ACTH production (e.g., bronchial carcinoma)
rash
:Elevated: adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease), Cushing's disease, ectopic ACTH syndrome, pregnancy, menstruation, stress.
Lowered: Cushing's syndrome, secondary adrenal insufficiency
