Abbott Diagnostics launches new ARCHITECT Cortisol Assay

Abbott Diagnostics has launched a fully automated, high volume ARCHITECT Cortisol assay. Intended as an aid in the diagnosis and treatment of adrenal disorders, this chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) is for the quantitative determination of cortisol in human serum, plasma or urine. The new assay is compatible with all ARCHITECT immunoassay analysers – including i2000, i2000SR, ci8200, and the forthcoming i1000SR – and exhibits excellent correlation to the highly specific LC/MS/MS method. A particular advantage of the direct urine method is that there is no requirement for a preliminary extraction step before analysis.

The new cortisol assay shows good precision for serum and urine samples across a wide concentration range and high specificity versus structurally similar compounds. Calibrator values are assigned by using LC/MS/MS and verified by BCR 192 and BCR 193 certified reference materials.

Cortisol is the major glucocorticoid hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex. Its physiological functions include regulation of carbohydrate metabolism and electrolyte and water distribution. Cortisol also has immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory activity.