Morning and nocturnal serum melatonin rhythm levels in patients with major depressive disorder: an analytical cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
The pineal gland is an adaptive organ that precisely regulates the biological rhythms of melatonin brain hemostasis. Variation in the regulation of melatonin rhythms is a likely cause of depressive disorder. The purpose of this study was to measure serum melatonin levels in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and normal control subjects.


METHODS
Analytical cross-sectional study at the industrial medical unit of the Iron Smelting Company of Isfahan, Iran.


METHODS
The morning and nocturnal serum melatonin levels of patients and controls were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. All data were assessed using variance analysis.


RESULTS
The morning and nocturnal serum melatonin levels of depressed and healthy subjects differed (P < 0.05). The nocturnal serum melatonin levels of depressed women were lower than those of depressed men (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study showed that the nocturnal serum melatonin levels in the depressed patients were lower than in the controls. Thus, the peak melatonin phase in the depressed patients was reached with delay.
Department of Psychology Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khouzestan, Iran. khaleghipour@naeiniau.ac.ir
Shahnaz
S
Khaleghipour
Mohsen
M
Masjedi
Hassan
H
Ahade
Meersalahodin
M
Enayate
Gholamreza
G
Pasha
Farah
F
Nadery
Gholamhossein
G
Ahmadzade
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000503:physiopathology; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
D008550:Melatonin