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Updated: Oct 17, 2025
Extraction and Analysis of Cortisol from Human and Monkey Hair
Published on: January 24, 2014
Determination of cortisol in hair using UHPLC-MS/MS: application to patients admitted for ethanol dependence
Daniella Rheingantz Decker Soares1,2, Marcos Frank Bastiani1, Anelise Schneider1
1Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology, Feevale University, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.
Abstract:
Aim: Cortisol hair levels can be used to evaluate chronic stress status. In this context, an improved UHPLC-MS/MS assay for the determination of cortisol in hair was developed and validated. Materials & methods: Hair was extracted with methanol for 4 h at 25°C. Chromatographic run time was 5.5 min. The assay was linear in the range of 1-250 pg mg-1. Precision was 3.6-12.2% and accuracy 97.1-103.8%. The method was applied in hair from 19 volunteers admitted at a rehabilitation clinic, with ethanol consumption classified using ethyl glucuronide hair levels. Conclusion: Abstinent/chronic moderate ethanol consumers had significantly lower cortisol hair levels than chronic excessive consumers. This is the first study evaluating cortisol hair levels in ethanol abuse patients using an objective marker for ethanol consumption.
