This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Elizabeth A. Young, MD; Joan Kotun, MD; Roger F. Haskett, MD; Leon Grunhaus, MD; John F. Greden, MD; Stanley J. Watson, MD, PhD; Huda Akil, PhD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1993;50(5):395-403.

Abstract
Objective
To determine if corticotroph nonsuppression, as reflected by β-endorphin nonsuppression, occurs before cortisol nonsuppression (defined as a cortisol level of >140 nmol/L) when examining multiple time points in a day.

Setting
The General Medical Clinical Research Center and Inpatient Depression Research Unit, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Design
Multiple blood samples were obtained through an intravenous catheter around the time points of 8 AM, noon, and 4 PM and assayed for β-endorphin and cortisol.

Patients
Patients meeting Research Diagnostic Criteria for the diagnosis of major depressive disorder, primary and simple. A total of 73 subjects, both inpatients and outpatients, were studied.

Intervention
Samples were obtained both at baseline and 1 day after administration of 1 mg of dexamethasone at 11:30 PM.

Measurements and Results
Overall 39 patients (53%) demonstrated β-endorphin nonsuppression after administration of dexamethasone at any of the three time points, while only eight patients (11%) demonstrated cortisol nonsuppression at any of these time points. Cortisol nonsuppression, but not β-endorphin nonsuppression, was associated with lower concentrations of dexamethasone in plasma. Baseline cortisol and menopausal status were significantly associated with β-endorphin nonsuppression in women.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Are Stress-Induced Cortisol Changes During Pregnancy Associated With Postpartum Depressive Symptoms?
Nierop et al.
Psychosom. Med. 2006;68:931-937.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Depressive Symptoms Are Associated With Blunted Cortisol Stress Responses in Very Low-Income Women
Burke et al.
Psychosom. Med. 2005;67:211-216.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Mineralocorticoid Receptor Function in Major Depression
Young et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003;60:24-28.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Increased Evening Activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Depressed Patients
Young et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1994;51:701-707.
ABSTRACT