ARUP's Laboratory Test Directory

Cortisol, Saliva : 0081117

Mnemonic: CORT SAL

Methodology: Quantitative Enzyme Immunoassay
Performed: Mon, Wed, Fri
Reported: 1-4 days
Specimen Required: Patient Prep: Do not collect specimen within 60 minutes after eating a meal, within 12 hours after consuming alcohol, immediately after brushing teeth or after any activity that may cause gums to bleed. Rinse mouth thoroughly with water 10 minutes before specimen collection. Recommended collection time is between 11:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Collect: Saliva. Swab must be completely saturated to ensure sufficient volume for testing.

Specimen Preparation: Transfer saturated swab to plain (non-citric acid) cotton Salivette® collection device (ARUP Supply #41252). Record the time of collection on the test request form, and on Salivette® transport container.

Storage/Transport Temperature: Refrigerated.

Unacceptable Conditions: Specimens not collected using the Salivette® collection device. Sodium azide preservative. Specimens with pH values greater than 9.0 or less than 3.5 must be recollected. Specimens visibly contaminated with blood, cellular debris, food particles, or mucus.

Stability (collection to initiation of testing): Ambient: 1 week; Refrigerated: 3 weeks; Frozen: 6 months
Reference Interval:
By report
Interpretive Data: For a collection at 2300 hr, the normal cortisol concentration is less than 0.112 µg/dL.  Patients with Cushing's Syndrome have concentrations of  0.112 µg/dL or greater.
Note: Bovine hormones normally present in dairy products can cross-react with anti-cortisol antibodies and cause false results.  Acidic or high sugar foods can compromise assay performance by lowering sample pH and influencing bacterial growth.  Samples with pH values greater than 9.0 or less than 3.5 must be recollected.
CPT Code(s): 82533