title: Consecutive melatonin circadian rhythms in normal volunteers.
abstract: Circadian plasma melatonin secretion patterns were determined in 12 healthy men over 3 consecutive 24-hour periods. The rhythms showed marked intra-individual stability, but pronounced interindividual variation. Plasma melatonin may serve as a reliable biological marker. Plasma melatonin assayed between 23h00 and 01h00 gave a reliable indication of an individual's circadian melatonin rhythm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Pretoria.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Coetzee
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Theron
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: van der Merwe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin