title: Dexamethasone suppression test and familial subtypes of unipolar depression.
abstract: We have studied the suppression of plasma cortisol after dexamethasone (1 mg) and the peak post-dexamethasone cortisol values in 84 hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of primary unipolar depression. The non-suppressor responses in the three familial subgroups (Winokur) were: 11/22 in familial pure depressive disorder (FPDD), 21/49 in sporadic depressive disease (SDD) and 1/13 in depression spectrum disease (DSD) (FPDD vs. SDD, p less than 0.05; SDD vs. DSD, p less than 0.05). When considering the peak post-dexamethasone cortisol value, or the 8.30-9.00-hour values, the results in the DSD group were lower than in the other two groups (p less than 0.05). These results suggest a different behaviour of DSD as compared with FPDD and SDD.
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone