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Table 2 Pharmacokinetic parameters of cortisol following oral or intravenous administration of hydrocortisone (HU)

From: Plasma, salivary and urinary cortisol levels following physiological and stress doses of hydrocortisone in normal volunteers

  

Day 1

Oral HC

IV HC

Plasma cortisol

Peak1

505 ± 46

1135 ± 60

2450 ± 361

(nmol/L)

(318–905)

(943–1419)

(1372–4205)

 

Peak CV2

31%

15%

42%

 

Tmax 1

 

1.7 ± 0.2

0.5 ± 0

(h)

 

(0.5-2 5)

 
 

AUC0-5 1

1469 ± 195

3720 ± 280

5775 593

(nmol/L.h)

(963–2433)

(2615–4663)

(3458–8684)

 

AUC0–5 CV2

37%

21%

29%

Plasma free cortisol

Peak1

64 ± 12

179 ± 20

694 ± 112

(nmol/L)

Peak CV2

63%

31%

50%

Tmax 1

 

1.7 ± 0.2

0.5 ± 0

(h)

   

AUC0-5 1

145 ± 23

462 ± 67

1236 ± 170

(nmol/L.h)

   

AUC0-5CV2

54%

41%

39%

Salivary cortisol

Peak1 (nmol/L)

19 ± 4

100 ± 16

348 ± 88

 

(6–48)

(58–164)3

(106–816)

Peak CV2

80%

40%

71%

Tmax 1

 

1.7 ± 0.2

1 ± 0

(h)

 

(1–2)3

 

AUC0-5 1

38 ± 4

241 ± 30

610 ± 147

(nmol/L.h)

(21–68)

(142–325)3

(210–1422)

AUC0–5 CV2

40%

31%3o

68%

Urinary cortisol: creatinine ratio

Peak1

73 ± 18

789 ± 164

4635 ± 926

(nmol: mmol)

(29–244)

(227–1468)

(480–8192)

Peak CV2

88%

59%

57%

Tmax 1

 

2.1 ± 0.3

1.1 ± 0.1 (1—2)

(h)

 

(1–3)

 

AUC0-5 1

216 ± 41

1732 ± 316

7280 ± 1488

(nmol:mmol.h)

(93–558)

(440–2839)

(1058–10715)

AUC0–5 CV2

65%

51%

58%

  1. 1Data are presented as mean ± SEM (range). Tmax is the time to reach peak concentration.
  2. 2Variability in peak cortisol and AUC0–5 values are expressed by coefficients of variation (CV).
  3. 3n = 6 (salivary cortisol data from two subjects were excluded because of extreme salivary cortisol outliers at 1 h, suggesting oral contamination).