title: Pituitary-adrenal cortical axis measures as predictors of sustained remission in major depression.
abstract: To determine the relationship of pretreatment hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortical (HPA) axis measures in major depressives to the occurrence of relapse following discontinuation of successful treatment, we compared pretreatment demographic, clinical, and HPA axis measures in 35 patients with DSM-III-R primary major depression divided into two groups. One group (n = 26) required continuing treatment to hold their symptoms in abeyance, and the other group (n = 9) had been successfully tapered off medication, remained in remission, and had been medication-free for at least 1 month. The major features that differentiated the 26 patients who required continuing medication to abate their symptoms from the 9 patients who were successfully discontinued from treatment were trends toward a longer duration of episode prior to initial study and increased baseline corticotropin (ACTH) 1-39, and significantly higher baseline cortisol and cortisol response to ACTH 1-24, in the former group. These results suggest that measures of HPA axis hyperactivity, along with longer duration of the index depressive episode, may predict the need for continuing medication for patients to remain in remission.
authors.affiliation: Neurosciences Research Center, MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: O'Toole
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Sekula
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Rubin
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003366:Cosyntropin; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D003366:Cosyntropin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone