title: Case study: melatonin in severe obesity.
abstract: Nocturnal serum melatonin was measured at half-hour intervals from 6:30 P.M. to 7 A.M. in two sisters, one severely obese 15-year-old and one somewhat overweight 12-year-old. Both, otherwise, were physically and psychiatrically healthy. In the severely obese sister, there was a significant increase in the serum melatonin mean level, a delayed phase-shift, and a delayed peak. Also, her overnight urine melatonin and its metabolite, 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate, were significantly higher. Could there be a relationship between dysregulation of the pineal gland and severe obesity?
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville School of Medicine, KY, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shafii
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: MacMillan
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Key
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Nahinsky
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin