Aldosterone is a steroid hormone primarily involved in regulating sodium and potassium levels in the blood as part of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Aldosterone increases sodium reabsorption from the tubular epithelial cells of the kidneys back into the blood while simultaneously moving potassium ions from the blood into the kidneys for eventual excretion in urine. Unusually high aldosterone levels (hyperaldosteronism) lead to elevated blood sodium and reduced blood potassium, increasing water retention, blood pressure, and blood volume. These, in turn, contribute to cardiovascular and renal disease development and progression. Drugs that interfere with the secretion or function of aldosterone are in clinical use as antihypertensives. For example, Lisinopril blocks the action of angiotensin-converting enzyme, reducing aldosterone secretion. The treatment goal for these drugs is to reduce water retention and blood pressure while preventing potassium loss.
Measuring aldosterone could help identify the cause(s) of high blood pressure to optimize and monitor the efficacy of treatment. According to the Cleveland Clinic the normal aldosterone range for adults is 3.1 – 35.4 ng/dL. A key contributor to secondary hypertension is primary aldosteronism, characterized by high aldosterone concentrations and low renin activity. In addition to blood pressure, aldosterone has roles in kidney disease, heart failure, diabetic neuropathy, and other diseases.
The DetectX® Aldosterone ELISA Kits (K052-H1/H5) and Aldosterone Chemiluminescent ELISA Kits (K052-C1/C5) quantitatively measure aldosterone present in extracted serum and plasma, urine, extracted fecal samples, and tissue culture media samples. These kits are competitive ELISA’s with a runtime of 2.5-16 hours and feature stable liquid reagents at 4°C. Samples concentrations are detected from 5000 to 4.97 pg/mL (K052-H, bottom left) and 1500 to 2.06 pg/mL (K052-C, bottom right). Generate a standard curve using the provided aldosterone stock solution in each kit..
Standard Curves:
