Copeptin in critical illness

摘要

In this issue of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM), Bolignano and colleagues present an extensive review on copeptin, the C-terminal fragment of the pro-vasopresin peptide (CTproAVP), as a surrogate biomarker of arginine vasopressin [1]. Copeptin is co-released from the hypothalamus in an equimolar ratio with the hypotha-lamic stress hormone vasopressin, and hence secretion is activated not only by changes in plasma osmolality and circulating blood volume, but also by stress and inflammatory states.