title: Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) serum concentrations in depressed patients: relationship to saliva cortisol and changes during antidepressant treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that total and free insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) serum concentrations in depressed patients are related to hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system activity and show a longitudinal decline in patients responding to treatment as well as to declining HPA system activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured total and free IGF-I as well as IGF-binding protein-3 in 77 depressed patients after wash-out of pre-medication and again after 28 or 35 days of treatment with paroxetine or amitriptyline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total but not free IGF-I serum concentrations are related to saliva cortisol concentrations in drug-free depressed patients. In responders to both amitriptyline and paroxetine, total IGF-I serum concentrations declined during treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings show IGF-I to be related to HPA system activity and to decline in responders to treatment while serum concentrations of the biologically active free IGF-I are neither related to HPA system activity nor do they change during the course of treatment. Our data do not support the hypothesis that free IGF-I may play a major role in physical disturbances in depressed patients.
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany. bettina.hamann@zi-mannheim.de
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weber-Hamann
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kratzsch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilles
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Heuser
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deuschle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D006854:Hydrocortisone