Endogenous depression and imipramine levels in the blood.
Approximate determinations of imipramine plus desmethylimipramine levels in the blood made by a method available in routine clinical chemistry laboratories, in 20 nondelusional endogenous depressives after 3 weeks of treatment (mean dose 130 mg/day, SEM 18.05 mg/day) have shown levels ranging from 10 ng/ml to 494 ng/ml. A positive significant correlation between blood levels and percentage change in scores on the Hamilton scale was found (Spearman's O = 0.49 P < 0.05). Patients with levels above 85 ng/ml had a significantly better therapeutic response than patients with levels below 85 ng/ml. Among the 11 nonresponders, 8 had low levels, 2 had intermediate levels, and 1 had the highest level of the study. In a given nonresponder, approximate determination of imipramine plus desmethylimipramine in the blood may be useful.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003891:Desipramine / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
D007099:Imipramine; D003891:Desipramine