Thyroid failure and protirelin (thyrotropin-releasing hormone) test abnormalities in depressed outpatients.
Forty-four consecutive outpatients referred to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation of depression and anergia were assessed by means of the protirelin (thyrotropin-releasing hormone) test. Nineteen patients (43%) had a blunted thyrotropin (TSH) response to protirelin, while six patients (13.5%) had augmented TSH responses indicating some degree of hypothyroidism. One patient had a low thyroxine level, while three patients had elevated basal TSH levels. Five of the six patients with augmented TSH responses were found to have antithyroid antibodies. These results suggest that a majority of depressed outpatients have abnormalities on the protirelin test and that the TSH response to protirelin is useful in both confirming a diagnosis of major depression and assessing thyroid status.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002100:Cachexia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000503:physiopathology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine