Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2013;23(2):172-90.
doi: 10.11613/bm.2013.021.

Copeptin and its potential role in diagnosis and prognosis of various diseases

Lidija Dobsa  1 , Kido Cullen Edozien
Affiliations
Review

Copeptin and its potential role in diagnosis and prognosis of various diseases

Lidija Dobsa et al. Biochem Med (Zagreb). 2013.

Abstract

The need for faster diagnosis, more accurate prognostic assessment and treatment decisions in various diseases has lead to the investigations of new biomarkers. The hope is that this new biomarkers will enable early decision making in clinical practice. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is one of the main hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Its main stimulus for secretion is hyperosmolarity, but AVP system is also stimulated by exposure of the body to endogenous stress. Reliable measurement of AVP concentration is difficult because it is subject to preanalytical and analytical errors. It is therefore not used in clinical practice. Copeptin, a 39-aminoacid glycopeptide, is a C-terminal part of the precursor pre-provasopressin (pre-proAVP). Activation of AVP system stimulates copeptin secretion into the circulation from the posterior pituitary gland in equimolar amounts with AVP. Therefore, copeptin directly reflects AVP concentration and can be used as surrogate biomarker of AVP secretion. Even mild to moderate stress situations contribute to release of copeptin. These reasons have lead to a handful of research on copeptin in various diseases. This review summarizes the current achievements in the research of copeptin as a diagnostic and prognostic marker and also discusses its association in different disease processes.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic presentation of copeptin generation and maturation (5).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scheme of assay for the measurement of copeptin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Jochberger S, Morgenthaler NG, Mayr VD, Luckner G, Wenzel V, Ulmer H, et al. Copeptin and arginine vasopressin concentrations in critically ill patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91:4381–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/jc.2005-2830. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Katan M, Morgenthaler NG, Dixit KCS, Rutishauser J, Brabant GE, Müller B, Christ-Crain M. Anterior and posterior pituitary function testing with simultaneous insulin tolerance test and a novel copeptin assay. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92:2640–3. http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/jc.2006-2046. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Szinnai G, Morgenthaler NG, Berneis K, Struck J, Müller B, Keller U, Christ-Crain M. Changes in plasma copeptin, the c-terminal portion of arginine vasopressin during water deprivation and excess in healthy subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92:3973–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/jc.2007-0232. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jochberger S, Luckner G, Mayr VD, Wenzel V, Morgenthaler NG, Friesenecker BE, et al. Course of vasopressin and copeptin plasma concentrations in a patient with severe septic shock. Anaesth Intensive Care. 2006;34:498–500. - PubMed
    1. Morgenthaler NG, Struck J, Jochberger S, Dünser MW. Copeptin: clinical use of a new biomarker. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2008;19:43–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2007.11.001. - DOI - PubMed