1967 Volume 42 Issue 12 Pages 1320-1325,1300
Wood et al. (1965) reports that response of cortisol secretion to single intramuscular injection of synthetic polypeptide can be used as a test of adrenocortical function. This report concerns our experience with this test carried out in 107 cases.
The first blood sample was drawn at 9 a.m., immediately followed by intramuscular injection of 250 μg of synthetic 24 amino acid polypeptide (β1-24-corticotropin, CIBA 30'920-Ba). Thirty minutes thereafter, the second blood sample was taken. After centrifugation of blood samples, plasma 11-OHCS was determined by the fluorimetric method of De Moor et al..
In 21 control subjects, plasma 11-OFICS level was 9.8±3.1 μg/dl (mean±S.D.) before synthetic polypeptide injection, which rose to 20.4±4.1 /μg/dl 30 minutes after the injection. The response was subnormal or markedly suppressed in patients receiving glucocorticoid therapy, Addison's disease and Sheehan's syndrome, but it was definitely augmented in 2 out of 4 cases with Cushing's syndrome.
Our experience indicates that the rapid test proposed by Wood et al. is useful as a screening test for adrenocortical function. No side effects were seen during the test procedure.
