title: Stress lymphocytes and the dexamethasone suppression test in major depressive disorders.
abstract: The Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) was administered to 12 patients with major depression and 4 normal controls. Peripheral blood smears were collected before and after the DST, and atypical lymphocytes were counted. Six patients who were nonsuppressors on the DST had a high percentage of so-called stress lymphocytes (Downey type II atypical lymphocytes). Five of six subjects with normal suppressor responses had low stress lymphocyte counts or no such cells (p less than 0.01). The findings suggest that the stress lymphocyte response might be related to nonsuppression on the DST in major depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kagawa Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyauchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirata-Hibi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone