Frisch Nadine, Eichler Anna, Plank Anne-Christine, Golub Yulia, Moll Gunther H, Kratz Oliver
Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6 and 10, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
Ther Drug Monit. 2020 Jun 12. doi: 10.1097/FTD.0000000000000782.
As a marker of cumulative cortisol activity, hair cortisol has received attention in clinical and methodological research. Currently, it is common practice to relate hair cortisol concentration (HCC) to hair weight. The present paper explores hair protein concentration (HPC) as another possible reference value for HCC.
For n = 18 hair samples cut from the posterior vertex, the HCC, HPC, and hair sample weight were determined, and the cortisol-to-weight and cortisol-to-protein ratios were calculated. Correlations were analyzed between HCC, HPC, and hair sample weight as well as between the cortisol-to-weight and cortisol-to-protein ratios. Hair sample weight and HPC were included as independent variables in a stepwise linear regression model to predict HCC.
HCC and HPC did not correlate significantly (r = .393, p = .106); however, the correlation between HCC and hair sample weight was significant (r = .520, p = .027). HPC and hair sample weight (r = .605, p = .008) as well as the cortisol-to-weight and cortisol-to-protein ratios (r = .858, p < .000) showed a high correlation. Hair sample weight was the better predictor of HCC (β = .520, p = .027) than HPC (β = .125, p = .657).
The results indicate that hair sample weight is the more suitable reference value for HCC. Thus, the standard cortisol-to-weight ratio should be used as the preferred expression for cumulative cortisol activity measured in scalp hair. However, calculating the cortisol-to-protein ratio can be considered as an alternative if the hair sample weight is not available.
作为累积皮质醇活性的标志物，头发皮质醇已在临床和方法学研究中受到关注。目前，将头发皮质醇浓度（HCC）与头发重量相关联是常见的做法。本文探讨头发蛋白质浓度（HPC）作为HCC的另一种可能的参考值。
对于从头顶后部剪下的n = 18份头发样本，测定了HCC、HPC和头发样本重量，并计算了皮质醇与重量之比以及皮质醇与蛋白质之比。分析了HCC、HPC与头发样本重量之间以及皮质醇与重量之比和皮质醇与蛋白质之比之间的相关性。将头发样本重量和HPC作为自变量纳入逐步线性回归模型以预测HCC。
HCC与HPC之间无显著相关性（r = 0.393，p = 0.106）；然而，HCC与头发样本重量之间的相关性显著（r = 0.520，p = 0.027）。HPC与头发样本重量（r = 0.605，p = 0.008）以及皮质醇与重量之比和皮质醇与蛋白质之比（r = 0.858，p < 0.000）显示出高度相关性。头发样本重量比HPC（β = 0.125，p = 0.657）更能预测HCC（β = 0.520，p = 0.027）。
结果表明头发样本重量是HCC更合适的参考值。因此，标准皮质醇与重量之比应用作测量头皮头发中累积皮质醇活性的首选表达方式。然而，如果无法获得头发样本重量，则可以考虑计算皮质醇与蛋白质之比作为替代方法。
