ACTH
and Eva Rudolf-Müller, doctorDr. med. Andrea Reiter is a freelance writer for the medical editorial team.
More about the expertsEva Rudolf-Müller is a freelance writer in the medical team. She studied human medicine and newspaper sciences and has repeatedly worked in both areas - as a doctor in the clinic, as a reviewer, and as a medical journalist for various specialist journals. She is currently working in online journalism, where a wide range of medicine is offered to everyone.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone, corticotropin) is a hormone made in the pituitary gland. It regulates the secretion of cortisone from the adrenal cortex. The concentration of ACTH varies with the time of day. Elevated levels can be caused by tumors that produce ACTH. Read everything you need to know about the pituitary gland hormone.
What is ACTH?
ACTH is made in the pituitary gland and released into the blood. The hormone stimulates the cells in the adrenal gland to produce glucocorticosteroids (cortisone).
Hormones from the hypothalamus and from the adrenal gland regulate the level of the ACTH concentration. It also fluctuates during the day: there is a lot of ACTH in the blood in the morning and less in the evening.
In the event of stress such as psychological or physical strain, cold, illness or injuries, ACTH is released to an increased extent. If enough cortisone is available, the formation of ACTH is reduced. An ACTH deficiency leads to a lack of cortisone.
When is ACTH determined in the blood?
Doctors will determine ACTH levels if they suspect that the patient's adrenal cortex is no longer producing enough cortisone. He wants to check whether the deficiency is due to a lack of stimulation by the pituitary gland.
Even if the patient has too much cortisone in the blood (Cushing's disease) and the cause is still unclear, the ACTH concentration must be determined.
ACTH - normal values
|
Normal values |
8 a.m. - 10 a.m. |
8 p.m. - 10 p.m. |
|
Adults, children |
10-60 pg / ml |
3 - 30 pg / ml |
The values can differ slightly from other reference values.
Most of the time, the ACTH values are determined in the evening.
When is the ACTH level lowered?
Too low ACTH levels can occur if either too little ACTH is produced or the adrenal cortex produces too much cortisone. In response to high levels of cortisone, the pituitary gland releases less ACTH. In summary, the following diseases can lead to an ACTH deficiency:
- Dysfunction of the pituitary gland
- Cortisone-producing tumor of the adrenal cortex
- Enlargement of the adrenal cortex with increased cortisone production
When is the ACTH level increased?
Elevated ACTH levels can be found:
- if the adrenal cortex is underactive (Addison's disease)
- occasionally for lung cancer
- occasionally in pancreatic cancer
- if you have a tumor of the pituitary gland (central Cushing's syndrome)
What to do if ACTH is increased or decreased
If the ACTH value is increased or decreased, the concentration of cortisone in the blood must also be determined. A so-called dexamethasone test and a CRH stimulation test also follow. These tests take hormones and measure the response to ACTH production.In this way, the cause of the changed concentration of ACTH in the blood can be found. If necessary, further examinations such as X-rays and CT images of the head will follow.
Tags: teeth organ systems womenshealth
