Cortisol, Saliva
Test Mnemonic
SCORT
CPT Codes
- 82533 - QTY (1)
Includes
- Cortisol, Saliva
Performing Laboratory
ARUP
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entire collection | Saliva | Swab | Refrigerated | Transfer saturated swab to Salivette® collection device (ARUP Supply #52056), available through Client Services at 216.444.5755. Swab must be completely saturated to ensure sufficient volume for testing. Collection should follow ARUP instructions provided with Salivette. Record collection time on container and requisition. Do not centrifuge Salivette. Full Salivette device must be returned: blue stopper, swab, insert, and tube. Patient Preparation: Do not collect specimen within 60 minutes after eating a meal, within 12 hours after consuming alcohol, immediately after brushing teeth, using mouthwash, or after any activity that may cause gums to bleed. Avoid using lipstick, ChapStick, and other lip items prior to sample collection. Avoid use of exogenous sources of cortisol (e.g., topical or oral hydrocortisone) or similar products during collection to reduce contamination. Rinse mouth thoroughly with water 10 minutes before collecting specimen. Recommended collection time is between 11:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Refrigerated | 3 weeks |
| Ambient | 1 week |
| Frozen | 6 months |
Days Performed
Mon - Sat
Turnaround Time
2 - 5 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) |
Reference Range
| Cortisol, Saliva | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.: 0.1-0.75 ug/dL | 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: <0.401 ug/dL | 11 p.m. to midnight: <0.1 ug/dL |
Special Info
Patient Preparation: 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 collecting specimen. Recommended collection time is between 11:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. Specimens not collected using the Salivette® collection device, and specimens visibly contaminated with blood, cellular debris, food particles, or mucus are not acceptable. Specimens with pH values > 9.0 or < 3.5 must be recollected. Sodium azide preservative is unacceptable. This test is New York DOH approved.
Clinical Info
This test is useful to rule out Cushing syndrome and to screen for thymic and bronchial carcinoid tumors.
Clinical Limitation
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.