title: Increase of visceral fat and adrenal gland volume in women with depression: preliminary results of a morphometric MRI study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depression is often accompanied by increased visceral adipose tissue (VAT), stress, enlarged adrenal glands, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. VAT turn-over is regulated by adrenal stress hormones such as cortisol. Aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the adrenal volume as a marker for long-term stress and the volume fractions of several body fat compartments in healthy and depressive women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten depressive and 12 healthy women were investigated. Fat compartments (VAT, VAT in the upper abdomen, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT), and adrenal volume) were measured by MRI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depressive women revealed more VAT in the upper abdomen than the healthy. There was a significant correlation of age and Body Mass Index (BMI) with the visceral adipose tissue volume and adrenal gland size. In a partial correlation, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was correlated with VAT in the upper abdomen (r = 0.45, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increase of adrenal volume and VAT and the correlation of BDI with VAT in the upper abdomen support the hypothesis of long-term production of stress hormones in depression. This study is a further step toward describing morphologic substrates of depression in endocrine organs.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Tuebingen, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Section of Experimental Radiology, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 3, Tuebingen, Germany. burkhard.ludescher@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ludescher
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Najib
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baar
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Machann
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schick
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buchkremer
authors.forename: Claus D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Claussen
authors.forename: Gerhard W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Eschweiler
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D035061:Control Groups; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000502:physiology; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D009929:Organ Size; D010555:Personality Inventory; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat; D051598:Whole Body Imaging
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006854:Hydrocortisone