Overview
ACTH is a pituitary peptide stimulating adrenal cortisol production.
Clinical Importance
Distinguish primary vs secondary adrenal insufficiency
Selected Cushing workups
Specimen Requirements
- Specimen: EDTA plasma preferred for many assays
- Tube: lavender EDTA; place on ice and separate promptly per method
- Stability: ACTH is labile; follow strict preanalytical instructions
Analytical Method
Immunometric assays; handle as a labile peptide.
Instruments Used
Automated analyzers
- Roche Cobas chemistry and immunoassay systems
- Abbott Alinity / Architect chemistry and immunoassay systems
- Siemens Healthineers Atellica / ADVIA chemistry and immunoassay systems
- Beckman Coulter AU / DxC chemistry systems
- Beckman Coulter Access / DxI immunoassay systems
- Mindray BS-series chemistry analyzers
- Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Vitros systems
- Thermo Fisher / Indiko and related chemistry platforms
- Randox clinical chemistry systems
Manual methods
- Manual EIA/RIA in selected reference settings
Reference Values
Typical adult SI examples below follow widely published international clinical chemistry practice (e.g., Tietz; Henry's). Always interpret against the method- and demographics-specific interval printed on the patient report (CLSI EP28-A3c). Neonatal, pediatric, pregnancy, and assay-generation intervals differ.
Time-dependent and method-specific; morning ACTH often roughly 1.5–12 pmol/L (10–50 pg/mL); use local interval.
Interpretation
Common Causes of Increased Results
- High ACTH with low cortisol; primary adrenal failure pattern
Common Causes of Decreased Results
- Low ACTH with low cortisol; secondary/tertiary pattern
Clinical Significance
- Adrenal axis localization
Factors Affecting Results
Pre-analytical
- Room-temperature delay destroys ACTH
Analytical
- Calibration/QC failure; reagent lot shifts
- Carryover or substrate depletion on high-throughput analyzers
- Assay-specific interference (heterophile antibodies for immunoassays)
- Heterophile antibodies, biotin interference (assay-dependent), macro-analytes
Post-analytical
- Wrong reference interval or unit applied
- Failure to review delta checks / critical values before release
Advantages and Limitations
Advantages
- Essential with cortisol for localization
Limitations
- Extremely preanalytical-sensitive
Clinical Pearls
ACTH that sat warm on the bench is not low; it is destroyed.
References
Authoritative textbooks, guidelines, and reviews supporting this laboratory test reference. Verify reference intervals, critical limits, and method details against institutional protocols and current guideline editions.
Textbooks
- Rifai N, Horvath AR, Wittwer CT, eds. Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics. 8th ed. Elsevier; 2022.
- McPherson RA, Pincus MR. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 24th ed. Elsevier; 2021.
- Bishop ML, Fody EP, Schoeff LE. Clinical Chemistry: Principles, Techniques, and Correlations. 9th ed. Jones & Bartlett; 2022.
CLSI and Professional Guidelines
- International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC). Recommendations and reference measurement systems for clinical chemistry measurands (verify current IFCC documents for the analyte).
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Defining, Establishing, and Verifying Reference Intervals in the Clinical Laboratory; Approved Standard. CLSI document EP28-A3c. CLSI; 2010.
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Collection of Diagnostic Venous Blood Specimens. CLSI standard GP41. CLSI.
- American Diabetes Association. Standards of Care in Diabetes. Diabetes Care (annual update).
- Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO). Clinical Practice Guideline for Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease.
- American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). Practice guidance related to evaluation of abnormal liver chemistries / liver disease laboratory evaluation (verify current AASLD publication and institutional adoption).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about using this ACTH laboratory test Medical Laboratory Library reference in Medical Laboratory Science education.
What is the ACTH laboratory test reference used for?
This Medical Laboratory Library page summarizes the clinical importance of ACTH. Review the Clinical Importance section for why the test is ordered in laboratory medicine practice.
Where can I find ACTH specimen requirements?
See the Specimen Requirements section on this page for specimen information related to ACTH. Confirm collection details against your laboratory protocol.
Where are ACTH reference values listed?
See the Reference Values section on this Laboratory Library page. Reference ranges can vary by method and population, so verify intervals with your laboratory.
How do I interpret ACTH results?
Use the Interpretation section for laboratory interpretation framing, including increased and decreased result patterns when provided. Do not treat educational text as a patient-specific diagnosis.
What analytical method is used for ACTH?
See the Analytical Method section for principle and method notes. Method details may differ by instrument and institutional SOP.
Are related laboratory tests linked from ACTH?
Yes. The Related Laboratory Tests section lists connected references for continued lookup in the Medical Laboratory Library.
How can I continue learning after reading ACTH?
Use Continue learning links on this page for related Academy lessons, medical laboratory quizzes, or laboratory case studies when available for this Clinical Chemistry topic.
What are the clinical pearls for ACTH?
See the Clinical Pearls section for concise laboratory practice notes associated with ACTH. Apply pearls alongside institutional protocols.
Reading progress
Awards XP once after you have meaningfully reviewed this article.