Hypercortisolism in septic shock is not suppressible by dexamethasone infusion.

Objective: To explore the feedback regulation of glucocorticoids on corticotropin secretion in patients with septic and nonseptic circulatory shock.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: An intensive care unit of a general hospital.

Decreased immunoreactivity and binding activity of corticosteroid-binding globulin in serum in septic shock.

To investigate the mechanism(s) responsible for the depletion of corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) activity in serum in septic shock, we developed a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for human CBG, using a monospecific antiserum to human CBG raised in rabbits. CBG was purified from pooled human serum by precipitation with ammonium sulfate and successive affinity chromatography treatments on corticosterone-Sepharose and concanavalin A-Sepharose. Final purification was achieved by HPLC on a diethylaminoethyl-PW (polymer matrix) ion-exchange column.

Althesin interaction with human plasma steroid binding globulins.

The binding affinities of two steroid anaesthetics, alphaxalone (Alfx) and alphadolone acetate (Alfd), for testosterone-oestradiol-binding globulin (TeBG) and corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) were measured in human serum. In 8 male patients, the effect of i.v.