title: Increased cerebrospinal fluid cortisol level in Alzheimer's disease is not related to depression.
abstract: Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis hyperactivity is well established in a large proportion of both Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and idiopathic depression patients, resulting in, e.g. increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cortisol levels. We hypothesized that HPA-axis activity in depressed AD patients is even more increased than in non-depressed AD patients, resulting in higher CSF cortisol levels. Cortisol levels were measured in post mortem CSF of depressed and non-depressed AD patients and in controls. Cortisol levels in AD patients were more than double those of controls, while no significant differences were found between depressed and non-depressed AD patients. These results suggest a different pathogenetic mechanism in depression in AD than in idiopathic depression.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Valeriusplein 9, 1075 BG Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Witte J G
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hoogendijk
authors.forename: Gerben
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meynen
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Endert
authors.forename: Michel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: Dick F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Swaab
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000473:pathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone