Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41493183›Full record

ArticleEndocrine connections2026

Dynamic testing of cortisol in consecutive patients with suspected adrenal disorders: a comparison of Elecsys Cortisol II and LC-MS/MS.

Kristina Laugesen, Simon Bøggild Hansen, Lise Sofie Bislev, Jens Otto Lunde Jørgensen, Søren Andreas Ladefoged

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Endocrine connections, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Kristina LaugesenDepartment of Clinical Biochemistry, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7971-8223
Simon Bøggild HansenDepartment of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Lise Sofie BislevDepartment of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Jens Otto Lunde JørgensenDepartment of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7408-1526
Søren Andreas LadefogedDepartment of Clinical Biochemistry, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Abstract: The increased detection of adrenal incidentalomas and drug-induced adrenal insufficiency increases the demand for cortisol testing. While liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and dynamic testing remain the gold standard, more expedient tools are needed. We compared the Elecsys Cortisol II immunoassay (ElecsysCort II) with LC-MS/MS during dynamic testing and evaluated the diagnostic performance of baseline cortisol cutoffs (0 min cortisol during a short Synacthen test). The study included 547 overnight dexamethasone suppression tests (44% abnormal), mainly performed in adrenal incidentaloma patients (69%), and 519 Synacthen tests (32% abnormal). ElecsysCort II slightly underestimated cortisol compared with LC-MS/MS with a Passing-Bablok regression of -3.20 (95% CI: -3.66 to -2.83) + 0.96X (95% CI: 0.96-0.97) and a mean relative difference of -8.22% (95% CI: -8.99% to -7.45%) by Bland-Altman, which was within the limits of acceptable bias based on biological variation. Agreement was not affected by glucocorticoid or estradiol intake. Compared with LC-MS/MS, ElecsysCort II demonstrated a specificity of 100%, sensitivity of 84%, positive predictive value of 99%, and negative predictive value of 86% for an abnormal overnight dexamethasone suppression test (480 min cortisol ≥50 nmol/L). For an abnormal Synacthen test (30 min cortisol <420 nmol/L), the measures were 95, 99, 89, and 100%, respectively. A baseline cortisol cutoff >300 nmol/L to rule out and <150 nmol/L to rule in adrenal insufficiency demonstrated a high specificity (>92%) and a positive predictive value (>87%). Our study supports the use of ElecsysCort II in general and baseline cortisol as a screening tool for adrenal insufficiency. The high proportion of abnormal overnight dexamethasone suppression tests among incidentaloma patients warrants further research.

Indexed as

adrenal insufficiencycortisolCushing’s syndromeimmunoassayliquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

Identifiers

PMID41493183
PMCPMC12822322

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.