title: Plasma dexamethasone and cortisol levels in depressed outpatients.
abstract: We investigated the 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST) in 41 outpatients with major depressive disorder assessing the role of dexamethasone blood level, age and basal cortisol on DST results. Non-suppressors (approximately 25% of patients) had lower dexamethasone levels, and post-dexamethasone cortisol was negatively correlated with plasma dexamethasone; these findings were more significant after covarying out age and basal cortisol, factors that were also significantly associated to non-suppressors. A subgroup of patients (n = 19) also had 0.75-mg and 2.0-mg DST to evaluate whether a threshold dexamethasone blood level existed; a dexamethasone blood level greater than 1.5 ng/ml converted all non-suppressors to suppressors. Implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Asnis
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Halbreich
authors.forename: C Z
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Lemus
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: van Praag
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rubinson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone