[Cortisol levels are more closely associated with depressiveness and other psychopathologies than catecholamine levels].
OBJECTIVE
Quantification of changes in the levels of the above hormones, i.e. cortisol, adrenalin, noradrenalin and dopamine depending on the presence of depressive symptoms and other psychopathological symptoms.


METHODS
259 randomly selected individuals from the population of the city of Pilsen.


METHODS
Zung self-assessment scale and SCL-90 questionnaire were used to assess depressiveness and other psychopathologies. Serum cortisol levels were measured, as well as the levels ofcortisol and catecholamine (adrenalin, noradrenalin and dopamine) in a 24-hour urine sample. The studied sample was divided, by an arbitrarily defined limit, into a group with a higher and a group with a lower excretion of the monitored hormones.


RESULTS
The group with cortisol excretion higher than 300 nmol/24 h had a significantly higher score in terms of the SCL-90 questionnaire interpersonal sensitiveness, depression, anxiety, phobia, paranoidism and psychoticism as compared with the group with cortisol excretion below 300 nmol/24 h (p < 0.05). The group with cortisol excretion above 300 nmol/24 h had also a significantly higher score on Zung's self-assessment depression scale as compared with the group with cortisol excretion below 300 nmol/24 h (p < 0.05). Division of the sample according to the score on Zung's self-assessment depression scale (SDS index > or = 50) has shown that women with a record of depressive symptoms had a statistically significant higher of urinary cortisol excretion in 24 hours (average 219.40 as compared with 191.64 nmol/24 h, respectively, p = 0.02). The group of men with depressive symptoms according to the score obtained on Zung self-assessment scale only showed a trend towards higher urinary noradrenalin excretion in 24 hours (average of 69.77 as compared with 63.84 microg/24 h, p = 0.17).


CONCLUSIONS
As shown by the above results, there is a link between 24-hour urinary cortisol excretion levels and the monitored parameters of psychic condition.
Hess
Z
Z
II. interní klinika Lékarské fakulty UK a FN Plzen. hessz@fnplzen.cz
Podlipný
J
J
Rosolová
H
H
Topolcan
O
O
Petrlová
B
B
D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D002395:Catecholamines; D006854:Hydrocortisone