title: Antidepressant treatment and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate: different effects of amitriptyline and paroxetine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is evidence for activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal system in depressed patients to be associated with increased secretion of adrenal androgens. However, there is only limited information about the effect of different classes of antidepressants on the course of adrenal androgens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) serum concentrations were measured in 80 patients being treated with amitriptyline (AMI) or paroxetine (PAROX) for a period of 35 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using analysis of variance with repeated measures, we found a significant effect of treatment upon DHEA-S serum concentrations that declined more in AMI-treated (before vs. after: 1.89+/-1.16 vs. 1.46 +/- 0.96 mg/l), compared to PAROX-treated patients (1.56+/-1.09 vs. 1.50+/-1.04 mg/l).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show changes in DHEA-S serum concentrations during antidepressant treatment to depend on medication.
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany. deuschle@as200.zi-mannheim.de
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deuschle
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luppa
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilles
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Heuser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D000639:Amitriptyline; D017374:Paroxetine; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate