Assessment of Diurnal Salivary Cortisol Production in COVID-19

July 30, 2021 updated by: Maria Yavropoulou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

COVID-19, Interleukin - 6 and Diurnal Salivary Cortisol

In the year of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic several studies have focused on the effect of the COVID-19 on the adrenal cortex, demonstrating conflicting results. Herein, researchers sought to investigate the adrenal response in patients with COVID-19by assessing the diurnal rhythm of salivary cortisol and the adrenal androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), as well as the plasma levels of aldosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in consecutive patients before the possible therapeutic administration of dexamethasone. To elucidate the potential association between the magnitude of individual immune response and the adrenal cortex response we included serum measurements of interleukin - 6 (IL-6).

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

All adult consecutive patients that visited the emergency department of the LAIKO General Hospital of Athens from May to July 2021 due to confirmed COVID-19 and related symptomatology were eligible for the study.

Age and gender matched healthy individuals without COVID-19 who had never been treated with GCs and fulfilled the exclusion criteria were also recruited from the Hospital's personnel and included in the analysis as Controls.

Blood samples were obtained immediately upon admission for the measurements of ACTH, IL-6 and aldosterone, which were performed by electrochemiluminescence assays on the cobas e 801 immunoassay analysers (Roche Diagnostics GmbH). Salivary samples for free cortisol and DHEAS were obtained during the next day using the Salivette (Sarstedt, Nümbrecht, Germany) at different time points 0800, 12.00, 18.00, and 22.00. Within 24h after saliva collection the salivettes were centrifuged at 2400 g for 20 min in 4 °C and aliquots were stored at -80 °C and analyzed by an Immunochemiluminescence assay in a Roche COBAS E411 analyzer.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

85

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Greece
      • Athens, Greece, 11527
        • Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Hospital based population. Patients with confirmed COVID-19

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Adult patients that visited the Emergency Department of LAIKO General Hospital of Athens, Greece from May to July 2021 due to confirmed COVID-19 and related symptomatology

Exclusion Criteria:

(i) pre-existing hypoadrenalism or concurrent systemic glucocorticoid treatment (ii) patients with chronic kidney disease stage 3b and above, (iii) patients with advanced metastatic disease.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Patients (Cases)

Adult consecutive patients that visited the Emergency Department of LAIKO General Hospital of Athens, Greece from May to July 2021 due to confirmed COVID-19 and related symptomatology.

Blood sampling on the day of admission (one time point) and saliva sampling at 4 different time points (0.800, 12.00, 18.00,22.00) the next day (all sampling in one day).
Diagnostic test: Blood sampling
Assessment of circulating levels of plasma ACTH, plasma aldosterone and serum interleukin -6 levels at day 1
Diagnostic test: Saliva sampling
Assessment of diurnal variation of cortisol and DHEA levels in the saliva at 4 different time points during the day (0.800, 12.00, 18.00, 22.00) at day 2.
Healthy Controls
Age and gender matched healthy individuals without COVID-19. Blood sampling (at day 1) and saliva sampling at different time points (0.800, 12.00, 18.00,22.00) the next day (all sampling in one day-day 2).
Diagnostic test: Blood sampling
Assessment of circulating levels of plasma ACTH, plasma aldosterone and serum interleukin -6 levels at day 1
Diagnostic test: Saliva sampling
Assessment of diurnal variation of cortisol and DHEA levels in the saliva at 4 different time points during the day (0.800, 12.00, 18.00, 22.00) at day 2.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Diurnal variation of cortisol levels in the saliva (mcg/dL)
Time Frame: One day
Saliva sampling was performed at 4 different time points during one day (08.00, 12.00, 18.00, 22.00).
One day

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Single hormone assessment of plasma ACTH levels (pg/mL)
Time Frame: One day
Blood sampling was performed on the day of Hospital admission at one time point
One day
Diurnal variation of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels (pg/mL) in the saliva
Time Frame: One day
Saliva sampling was performed at 4 different time points during one day (08.00, 12.00, 18.00, 22.00).
One day
Single hormone assessment of plasma aldosterone levels (pmol/L)
Time Frame: One day
Blood sampling was performed on the day of Hospital admission at one time point
One day
Single hormone assessment of serum Interleukin-6 levels (IL-6) (pg/mL)
Time Frame: One day
Blood sampling was performed on the day of Hospital admission at one time point
One day
Single hormone assessment of serum C-reactive protein levels (CRP) (mg/L)
Time Frame: One Day
Blood sampling was performed on the day of Hospital admission at one time point
One Day

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 15, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 15, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

July 28, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 28, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 30, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

August 3, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 3, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 30, 2021

Last Verified

July 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Ε.Σ 310

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

all IPD that underlie results in a publication

IPD Sharing Time Frame

From the day of publication and for 1 year.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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