SPECIAL ENDOCRINE TESTS
Steroid Hormones

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Aldosterone				Excretion:			5/day	Keep specimen cold
					5–19 μg/24 hr	14–53 nmol/day
				Supine:			3-S, P	Fasting, at rest, 210-mEq sodium diet
					48±29 pg/ml	133±80 pmol/L
				Upright (2 hr):
					65± 23 pg/ml	180±64 pmol/L		Upright, 2 hr, 210-mEq sodium diet
				Supine:
					107±45 pg/ml	279±125 pmol/L		Fasting, at rest, 110-mEq sodium diet
				Upright (2 hr):
					239±123 pg/ml	663±341 pmol/L		Upright, 2 hr, 110-mEq sodium diet
				Supine:
					175±75 pg/ml	485±208 pmol/L		Fasting, at rest, 10-mEq sodium diet
				Upright (2 hr):
					532±228 pg/ml	1476±632 pmol/L		Upright, 2 hr, 10–mEq sodium diet

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Cortisol				8 a.m. :			1-P	Fasting
					5–25 μg/100 ml	0.14–0.69 μmol/L
				8 p.m. :			1-P	At rest
					Below 10 μg/100 ml	0–0.28 μmol/L
				4-hr ACTH test:			1-P	20 U ACTH, IV per 4 hr
					30–45 μg/100 ml	0.83–1.24 μmol/L
				Overnight suppression test:			1-P	8 a.m. sample after 0.5 mg dexamethasone by mouth at midnight
					Below 5 μg/100 ml	0.14 nmol/L
				Excretion:			2/day	Keep specimen cold
					20–70 μg/24 hr	55–193 nmol/day

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)				Male			2-S, P
					0.5–5.5 ng/ml	1.7–19 nmol/L
				Female
				1.4–8.0 ng/ml	4.9–28 nmol/L		Adult
				0.3–4.5 ng/ml	1.0–15.6 nmol/L		Postmenopausal
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA–S)				Male			2-S, P
					151–446 μg/100 ml	3.9–11.4 μgmol/L
				Female
					84–433 μg/100 ml	2.2–11.1 μmol/L		Adult
					1.7–177 μg/100 ml	0.04–4.5 μmol/L		Postmenopausal
11–Deoxycortisol				Responsive			1-P	8 a.m. sample, preceded by 4.5 g of metyrapone by mouth per 24 hr or by single dose of 2.5 g by mouth at midnight
					Over 7.5 μg/100 ml	>0.22 μmol/L

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Estradiol				Male: <50 pg/ml		<184 pmol/L	5-S, P
				Female: 23–361 pg/ml		84–1325 pmol/L		Adult
					<30 pg/ml	<110 pmol/L		Postmenopausal
					<20 pg/ml	<73 pmol/L		Prepubertal

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Progesterone				Male: <1.0 ng/ml		<3.2 nmol/L	5-S, P
				Female
					0.2–0.6 ng/ml	0.6–1.9 nmol/L		Follicular phase
					0.3–3.5 ng/ml	0.95–11 nmol/L		Midcycle peak
					6.5–32.2 ng/ml	21–102 nmol/L		Postovulatory

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Testosterone				Adult male:			1-P	a.m. sample
					300–1100 ng/100 ml	10.4–38.1 nmol/L
				Adolescent male:
					Over 100 ng/100 ml	>3.5 nmol/L
				Female
					25–90 ng/100 ml	0.87–3.12 nmol/L

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Unbound testosterone				Adult male:			2-P	a.m. sample
					3.06–24.0 ng/100 ml	106–832 pmol/L
				Adult female:
					0.09–1.28 ng/100 ml	3.1–44.4 pmol/L

Polypeptide Hormones

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)				15–70 pg/ml		3.3–15.4 pmol/L	5-P	Place specimen on ice and send promptly to laboratory. Use EDTA tube only.
Alpha subunit				<0.5–2.5 ng/ml		<0.4–2.0 nmol/L	2-S	Adult male or female
				<0.5–5.0 ng/ml		<0.4–4.0 nmol/L		Postmenopausal female

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Calcitonin				Male: 0–14 pg/ml		0–4.1 pmol/L	5-S	Test done only on known or suspected cases of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid
				Female: 0–28 pg/ml		0–8.2 pmol/L
				>100 pg/ml in medullary carcinoma		>29.3 pmol/L

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)				Male 3–18 mU/ml		3–18 arb. unit	5-S, P	Same sample may be used for LH
				Female: 4.6–22.4 mU/ml		4.6–22.4 arb. unit		Pre- or postovulatory
					13–41 mU/ml	13–41 arb. unit		Midcycle peak
					30–170 mU/ml	30–170 arb. unit		Postmenopausal

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Growth hormone				Below 5 ng/ml		<233 pmol/L	1-S	Fasting, at rest
				Children: Over 10 ng/ml		>465 pmol/L		After exercise
				Male: Below 5 ng/ml		<233 pmol/L
				Female: Up to 30 ng/ml		0–1395 pmol/L
				Male: Below 5 ng/ml		<233 pmol/L		After glucose load
				Female: Below 5 ng/ml		<233 pmol/L

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Insulin				6–26 μU/ml		43–187 pmol/L	1-S	Fasting
				Below 20 μU/ml		<144 pmol/L		During hypoglycemia
				Up to 150 μU/ml		0–1078 pmol/L		After glucose load

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Luteinizing hormone (LH)				Male: 3–18 mU/ml		3–18 arb. unit	5-S, P	Same sample may be used for FSH
				Female:
					2.4–34.5 mU/ml	2.4–34.5 arb. unit		Pre- or postovulatory
					43–187 mU/ml	43–187 arb. unit		Midcycle peak
					30–150 mU/ml	30–150 arb. unit		Postmenopausal

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Parathyroid hormone				<25 pg/ml		<2.94 pmol/L	5-P	Keep blood on ice, or plasma frozen, if it is to be sent any distance; a.m. sample
Prolactin				2–15 ng/ml		0.08–6.0 nmol/L	2-S

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Renin activity				Supine :			4-P	EDTA tubes, on ice, normal diet
					1.1±0.8 ng/ml/hr	0.9±0.6 nmol/L/hr
				Upright:
					1.9±1.7 ng/ml/hr	1.5±1.3 nmol/L/hr
				Supine:				Low-sodium diet
					2.7±1.8 ng/ml/hr	2.1±1.4 nmol/L/hr
				Upright:
					6.6±2.5 ng/ml/hr	5.1±1.9 nmol/L/hr
				Diuretics:				Low-sodium diet
					10.0±3.7 ng/ml/hr	7.7±2.9 nmol/L/hr

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Somatomedin C (Sm–C, IGF–1)				0.08–2.8 U/ml		0.08–2.8 arb. unit	2-P	EDTA plasma prepubertal
				0.9–5.9 U/ml		0.9–5.9 arb. unit		During puberty
				0.34–1.9 U/ml		0.34–1.9 arb. unit		Adult males
				0.45–2.2 U/ml		0.45–2.2 arb. unit		Adult females

Thyroid Hormones

Determination				Reference Range			Minimal ml Required	Note
				Conventional		SI
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)				0.5–5.0 μU/ml		0.5–5.0 arb. unit	2-S
Thyroxine-binding globulin capacity				15–25 μg		193–322 nmol/L	2-S
				T4/100 ml
Total triiodothyronine (T3)				75–195 ng/100 ml		1.16–3.00 nmol/L	2-S
Reverse triiodothyronine (rT3)				13–53 ng/ml		0.2–0.8 nmol/L	2-S
Total thyroxine by RIA (T4)				4–12 μg/100 ml		52–154 nmol/L	1-S
T3 resin uptake				25–35%		0.25–0.35	2-S
Free thyroxine index (FT4 I)				1–4			2-S