Elevated salivary dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate but normal cortisol levels in medicated depressed patients: preliminary findings.
Major depression is often associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In contrast to cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) has been less extensively studied in depressed patients. This study examined salivary morning and evening levels of cortisol and DHEA-S in 13 medicated, unipolar, non-psychotic depressed patients and 13 healthy volunteers. Diurnal declines in cortisol and DHEA-S levels were found in both depressed and control groups. In patients compared with controls, DHEA-S was significantly elevated, in conjunction with normal cortisol levels. Based on DHEA-S at 22:00 h only, 77% of the subjects were correctly classified in a discriminant analysis as depressed or control. When simultaneously entered in a multiple regression analysis, DHEA-S (morning and evening) and cortisol (evening only) predicted symptom severity in depressed patients. These preliminary results suggest that DHEA-S may be a more sensitive indicator of depression and symptom severity than cortisol in medicated but still clinically depressed patients.
Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Tafelbergweg 25, 1105 BC Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.assies@amc.uva.nl
Johanna
J
Assies
Ieke
I
Visser
Nancy A
NA
Nicolson
Teunis A
TA
Eggelte
Elisabeth M
EM
Wekking
Jochanan
J
Huyser
Ritsaert
R
Lieverse
Aart H
AH
Schene
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D006854:Hydrocortisone