A validation study on fingernail cortisol: correlations with one-month cortisol levels estimated by hair and saliva samples
A validation study on fingernail cortisol: correlations with one-month cortisol levels estimated by hair and saliva samples
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DOI：
10.1080/10253890.2021.1895113
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发表时间：
2021-03-31
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Nomura, Shusaku
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Izawa, Shuhei;Sugaya, Nagisa;Nomura, Shusaku
几项研究重点关注指甲样本中的皮质醇水平，将其作为累积激素产生的可能指标；然而，指甲皮质醇的生物学有效性尚未完全确定。我们研究了健康年轻人指甲样本和其他生物样本（包括头发和唾液样本）中皮质醇水平之间的关联，以确定指甲皮质醇是否与过去累积的激素产生有关。参与者为 23 名成年人（14 名男性和 9 名女性；平均年龄 = 22.7 +/- 2.8 岁）。连续 30 天每天采集 3 次唾液样本，并从参与者的头皮上获取头发样本（1 厘米）。考虑到指甲的生长速度和指甲从指甲基质完全延伸的时间滞后，重复采集指甲样本8个月。毛发样本中的皮质醇水平与毛发采集后 3 个月获得的指甲样本中的水平显着相关（r = .48，p < .05）。基于醒来和就寝时唾液皮质醇水平的 30 天积分曲线下面积与唾液采集后 2-5 个月采集的指甲样本中的皮质醇水平显着相关。在调整了收集唾液的醒来时间后，这一发现尤其重要。这项研究提供的证据表明，指甲皮质醇与几个月前测量的累积激素水平有关，但与当前的激素水平无关。这些样本可用于慢性压力、皮质醇水平和健康调查中的内分泌学评估；此外，使用指甲样本可以进行更大规模的研究。
Several studies have focused on the cortisol levels in fingernail samples as a possible index of cumulative hormone production; however, the biological validity of fingernail cortisol has not been fully established. We investigated the association between cortisol levels in fingernail samples and other biological specimens, including hair and saliva samples, in healthy young adults to determine whether fingernail cortisol was associated with past cumulative hormone production. Participants were 23 adults (14 men and 9 women; mean age = 22.7 +/- 2.8 years). Saliva samples were collected three times per day for 30 days, and hair samples (1 cm) from participants' scalps were obtained. Fingernail samples were repeatedly collected for 8 months, considering growth rate of fingernail and time lag for fingernails to fully extend from the nail matrix. Cortisol levels in hair samples were significantly associated with the levels in fingernail samples that were obtained 3 months after hair collection (r = .48, p < .05). The 30-day integrated area under the curve, based on salivary cortisol levels at awakening and bedtime, were significantly associated with cortisol levels in fingernail samples that were collected 2-5 months after saliva collection. This finding was especially significant after adjusting for the awakening time when the saliva was collected. This study provided evidence that fingernail cortisol was associated with cumulative hormone levels measured several months before but not those in the present. The samples may be useful for endocrinological evaluation in the investigation of chronic stress, cortisol levels, and health; moreover, the use of fingernail samples would permit larger-scale studies.