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RecruitingNCT05149638Updated Feb 19, 2026

Updated Diagnostic Cortisol Values for Adrenal Insufficiency

An interventional study of Cosyntropin stimulation test in Adrenal Insufficiency, sponsored by Montefiore Medical Center. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-19.

Sponsored by Montefiore Medical Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Diagnostic

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Feb 2022; still recruiting 4 years 8 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
90
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the cortisol levels that most accurately diagnose a patient with adrenal insufficiency, a condition in which cortisol levels are too low for daily living.

Read the detailed description

In this study, a cosyntropin (ACTH) stimulation test will be conducted by administering intramuscular cosyntropin into a subject's arm and measuring cortisol levels before and after injection. Cosyntropin tests are routine medical tests that are done in doctors' offices to diagnose adrenal insufficiency. Cosyntropin is a synthetic version of a hormone, called ACTH, that is secreted by our bodies to help produce cortisol. Participation in this research will last about two hours.

Aim # 1:

The primary aim is to accurately re-define the cortisol threshold to diagnose adrenal insufficiency with cosyntropin stimulation test using the Alinity, monoclonal antibody, cortisol assay.

Aim # 2:

The secondary aims are to determine a basal, morning, cortisol level above which adrenal insufficiency can be ruled out using the Alinity cortisol assay and to compare diagnostic cortisol thresholds within the cosyntropin stimulation test between the Abbott Alinity assay and the Roche 2 assay.

02

Conditions studied

  • Adrenal Insufficiency

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03

In context

Adrenal Insufficiency

132 studies on the registry are indexed under Adrenal Insufficiency; 26 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 90 is above the median of 37 across 70 interventional studies indexed under Adrenal Insufficiency.

Browse Adrenal Insufficiency studies →

Lead sponsor

Montefiore Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 402 studies on the registry; 70 are open to participants now.

Of its 81 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 73 (90%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

- Male and female outpatients 18 years or older without prior diagnosis of primary or central adrenal insufficiency

Inclusion Criteria for patients with known adrenal insufficiency:

- Males and females 18 years or older with established diagnosis of primary or central adrenal insufficiency as previously documented in the electronic medical record by a failed CST (peak cortisol level \< 18 μg/dL) or morning serum cortisol \< 3 mcg/dL with an appropriate clinical circumstance (e.g., Sheehan's syndrome, pituitary surgery and/or irradiation, bilateral adrenalectomy, etc.) that strongly supports a true diagnosis of primary or central adrenal insufficiency, and current use of physiologic, replacement dose glucocorticoids. Inpatients with non-critical illness and outpatients are eligible

Inclusion Criteria for patients with suspected adrenal insufficiency:

- Males and females 18 years or older with suspected diagnosis of primary or central adrenal insufficiency by any cause based on clinical evaluation by a study team member. Inpatients with non-critical illness and outpatients are eligible

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria for all groups:

  • Moderate to severe liver impairment or abnormal albumin or cortisol binding globulin concentrations
  • Renal impairment with estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) \< 60 mL/min/1.73m2 and/or diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome
  • Pregnancy or nursing mothers
  • Use of estrogen preparations
  • Uncontrolled major depressive disorder or psychiatric diseases, severe malnutrition, eating disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome (disorders that alter hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function)
  • Use of any medications that induce hepatic cytochrome P-450 enzymes, e.g., barbiturates, phenytoin, rifampin, aminoglutethimide and mitotane
  • Active medical treatment of Cushing's syndrome (status-post surgical treatment is acceptable)
  • Uncontrolled hypo- or hyperthyroidism
  • Use of biotin within the past 72 hours
  • Regular alcohol and/or cannabis use
  • History of bilateral adrenalectomy
  • Treatment for validated primary adrenal insufficiency for greater than 6 months
  • Be assessed by the investigators as unsuitable for participation in this study for any reason

Additional Exclusion Criteria for healthy volunteers only:

  • Regular use of any oral glucocorticoid (e.g. hydrocortisone, prednisone, dexamethasone) within 6 weeks of the screening visit
  • Use of oral or nasal steroid (glucocorticoid) inhalers in the past 2 weeks
  • Regular use of any steroid creams, gels, ointments, or lotions
  • Use of steroid (glucocorticoid) injections in the past 6 months (healthy volunteers)
  • Regular use of opioids
  • Regular use of suboxone
  • Regular use of megestrol acetate
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Diagnostic
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
90 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Healthy volunteers

    Healthy volunteers are those 18 years or older without prior diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency. Study participation by healthy volunteers helps us understand what cortisol levels should be in a healthy population. This information also helps us figure out what levels might be in people with adrenal insufficiency.

    Diagnostic Test: Cosyntropin stimulation test

  • Active comparator
    Patients with known adrenal insufficiency

    This group consists of patients 18 years or older with an established diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency. Study participation by patients with adrenal insufficiency helps us understand what cortisol levels should be, in the new assays, among those with adrenal insufficiency.

    Diagnostic Test: Cosyntropin stimulation test

  • Active comparator
    Patients suspected to have adrenal insufficiency

    This groups consists of patients 18 years or older who are suspected to have adrenal insufficiency. Study participation by this group will help us understand if the cortisol values we get from the new assay accurately diagnose adrenal insufficiency.

    Diagnostic Test: Cosyntropin stimulation test

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testCosyntropin stimulation test

    In this test, Cosyntropin is administered as an intramuscular injection into the arm. Cortisol levels are measured before and after injection. Cosyntropin tests are routine medical tests that are done in doctors' offices to diagnose adrenal insufficiency. Cosyntropin is a synthetic version of a hormone, called ACTH, that is secreted by our bodies to help produce cortisol.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Cortisol threshold with cosyntropin stimulation test

    To accurately re-define the cortisol threshold to diagnose adrenal insufficiency (AI) with cosyntropin stimulation test (CST) using the Alinity, monoclonal antibody, cortisol assay. The cortisol threshold for the diagnosis of AI using the Alinity assay is 18 ug/dL. Results from the CST assay will be summarized by study arm/group to determine a new cut-point for patients with suspected primary or central AI.

    Time frame: 0 minutes (pre-cosyntropin administration) and 30 and 60 minutes post-cosyntropin administration; up to 2 hours participation time

Secondary outcomes

  1. Cortisol threshold with basal, morning level

    To determine a basal, morning, cortisol level above which adrenal insufficiency can be ruled out using the Alinity cortisol assay. Results will be summarized by study arm,

    Time frame: 0 minutes (pre-cosyntropin administration) and 30 and 60 minutes post-cosyntropin administration; up to 2 hours participation time

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Hahner S, Spinnler C, Fassnacht M, Burger-Stritt S, Lang K, Milovanovic D, Beuschlein F, Willenberg HS, Quinkler M, Allolio B. High incidence of adrenal crisis in educated patients with chronic adrenal insufficiency: a prospective study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Feb;100(2):407-16. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-3191. Epub 2014 Nov 24. PubMed 25419882 ↗
  • Giordano R, Marzotti S, Balbo M, Romagnoli S, Marinazzo E, Berardelli R, Migliaretti G, Benso A, Falorni A, Ghigo E, Arvat E. Metabolic and cardiovascular profile in patients with Addison's disease under conventional glucocorticoid replacement. J Endocrinol Invest. 2009 Dec;32(11):917-23. doi: 10.1007/BF03345773. Epub 2009 Jul 20. PubMed 19620820 ↗
  • Oelkers W. Adrenal insufficiency. N Engl J Med. 1996 Oct 17;335(16):1206-12. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199610173351607. No abstract available. PubMed 8815944 ↗
  • Dorin RI, Qiao Z, Qualls CR, Urban FK 3rd. Estimation of maximal cortisol secretion rate in healthy humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Apr;97(4):1285-93. doi: 10.1210/jc.2011-2227. Epub 2012 Feb 15. PubMed 22337905 ↗
  • Reimondo G, Bovio S, Allasino B, Terzolo M, Angeli A. Secondary hypoadrenalism. Pituitary. 2008;11(2):147-54. doi: 10.1007/s11102-008-0108-4. PubMed 18418713 ↗
  • Bornstein SR, Allolio B, Arlt W, Barthel A, Don-Wauchope A, Hammer GD, Husebye ES, Merke DP, Murad MH, Stratakis CA, Torpy DJ. Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Adrenal Insufficiency: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Feb;101(2):364-89. doi: 10.1210/jc.2015-1710. Epub 2016 Jan 13. PubMed 26760044 ↗
  • Raverot V, Richet C, Morel Y, Raverot G, Borson-Chazot F. Establishment of revised diagnostic cut-offs for adrenal laboratory investigation using the new Roche Diagnostics Elecsys(R) Cortisol II assay. Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 2016 Oct;77(5):620-622. doi: 10.1016/j.ando.2016.05.002. Epub 2016 Jul 19. No abstract available. PubMed 27449530 ↗
  • Vogeser M, Kratzsch J, Ju Bae Y, Bruegel M, Ceglarek U, Fiers T, Gaudl A, Kurka H, Milczynski C, Prat Knoll C, Suhr AC, Teupser D, Zahn I, Ostlund RE. Multicenter performance evaluation of a second generation cortisol assay. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2017 May 1;55(6):826-835. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2016-0400. PubMed 27898397 ↗
  • Kline GA, Buse J, Krause RD. Clinical implications for biochemical diagnostic thresholds of adrenal sufficiency using a highly specific cortisol immunoassay. Clin Biochem. 2017 Jun;50(9):475-480. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2017.02.008. Epub 2017 Feb 10. PubMed 28192125 ↗
  • Javorsky BR, Raff H, Carroll TB, Algeciras-Schimnich A, Singh RJ, Colon-Franco JM, Findling JW. New Cutoffs for the Biochemical Diagnosis of Adrenal Insufficiency after ACTH Stimulation using Specific Cortisol Assays. J Endocr Soc. 2021 Feb 18;5(4):bvab022. doi: 10.1210/jendso/bvab022. eCollection 2021 Apr 1. PubMed 33768189 ↗
  • Rosner W, Vesper H. Preface. CDC workshop report improving steroid hormone measurements in patient care and research translation. Steroids. 2008 Dec 12;73(13):1285. doi: 10.1016/j.steroids.2008.08.001. Epub 2008 Aug 5. No abstract available. PubMed 18755204 ↗
  • Ueland GA, Methlie P, Oksnes M, Thordarson HB, Sagen J, Kellmann R, Mellgren G, Raeder M, Dahlqvist P, Dahl SR, Thorsby PM, Lovas K, Husebye ES. The Short Cosyntropin Test Revisited: New Normal Reference Range Using LC-MS/MS. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018 Apr 1;103(4):1696-1703. doi: 10.1210/jc.2017-02602. PubMed 29452421 ↗
  • Hanley JA, McNeil BJ. The meaning and use of the area under a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Radiology. 1982 Apr;143(1):29-36. doi: 10.1148/radiology.143.1.7063747. PubMed 7063747 ↗
  • Bland JM, Altman DG. Statistical methods for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement. Lancet. 1986 Feb 8;1(8476):307-10. PubMed 2868172 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 19, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05149638
Lead sponsor
Montefiore Medical Center
Collaborators
Medical College of Wisconsin
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Dec 8, 2021
Start date
Feb 3, 2022
Primary completion
Dec 1, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 1, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Feb 19, 2026

Study contacts

Smita B Abraham, MD
Contact
smabraham@montefiore.org
718-839-7322
Noah Bloomgarden, MD
Contact
nbloomga@montefiore.org
Smita B Abraham, MD
principal investigator · Albert Einstein - Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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