Urinary steroid metabolites and 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in patients with unipolar recurrent major depression.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to obtain comprehensive information on steroid metabolism in depressed patients.


METHODS
24-h urinary steroids were measured by gas chromatography in patients with unipolar recurrent major depression (URMD) compared to controls, and an index of relative activity of the 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11beta-HSD) enzyme was calculated.


RESULTS
The levels of etiocholanolone (E) (p < 0.05), beta-cortolone (beta-CL) (p < 0.01) were significantly decreased, while levels of allo-tetrahydrocorticosterone (aTHB) (p < 0.05) and cortisol (F) (p < 0.01) were elevated in depressed women. The levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) (p < 0.01), tetrahydrocorticosterone (THB) (p < 0.01), beta-CL (p < 0.01), and aTHB (p < 0.05) were found significantly decreased in depressed men. The index of 11beta-HSD activity (p < 0.01) was significantly decreased in patients in both sexes.


CONCLUSIONS
The sample is limited to only urine samples of patient with URMD; the correlation between the severity of depression and F and DHEA was not analyzed.


CONCLUSIONS
Our investigations confirmed that URMD associated with altered steroid metabolism, which shows gender differences, pointing to the different stress sensibility of women. These differences may be the cause as well as the consequence of the major depression (MD).
Poór
Viktória
V
Institute of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, 12 Szigeti Street, H-7624, Hungary. Viktoria.Poor@AOK.PTE.hu
Juricskay
Susan
S
Gáti
Agnes
A
Osváth
Péter
P
Tényi
Tamás
T
D042842:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000097:blood*; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000652:urine*; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000652:urine; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000523:psychology; D005043:Etiocholanolone / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011278:Pregnanes / Q000652:urine; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D011278:Pregnanes; C003545:cortolone; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; C003676:tetrahydrocorticosterone; D005043:Etiocholanolone; D042842:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D003345:Corticosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone