title: Hair cortisol as a marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal Axis activity in female patients with major depressive disorder.
abstract: Hair cortisol is regarded as a promising marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) activity alterations due to stress, somatic and mental health conditions. Hair cortisol was previously reported to be elevated in patients with depression, however the data related to remission and recurrent depressive episodes are different. In this study, levels of hair cortisol were assessed in female patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and the validity of hair cortisol as a marker of HPAA activity in this condition was evaluated. Hair cortisol was measured in 1 cm hair segments of 21 female patients with MDD and 22 female age-matched controls using enzyme-immunoassay analysis. Concurrently, serum cortisol was assessed and psychological status was evaluated using 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Spielberger state trait anxiety inventory (STAI). The levels of hair cortisol were significantly lower in the MDD group, while serum cortisol levels were significantly higher in patients, as compared with controls. A significant negative correlation was found between HAMD-17 scores and hair cortisol. Decreased hair cortisol found in female patients with MDD as compared to controls suggests downregulation of HPAA activity during the preceding month. Further studies are needed to investigate the profiles of hair cortisol at different stages of depressive disorder to establish this parameter as a handy clinical tool.
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Department of Moscow, Moscow Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Ksenia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pochigaeva
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Department of Moscow, Moscow Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Druzhkova
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Department of Moscow, Moscow Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia.|Department of Functional Biochemistry of the Nervous System, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova street 5a, Moscow, 117485, Russia.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yakovlev
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Department of Moscow, Moscow Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia.|Department of Functional Biochemistry of the Nervous System, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova street 5a, Moscow, 117485, Russia.
authors.forename: Mikhail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onufriev
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Department of Moscow, Moscow Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grishkina
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Department of Moscow, Moscow Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Aleksey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chepelev
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Department of Moscow, Moscow Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia.|Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Medical Genetics, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Alla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guekht
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Department of Moscow, Moscow Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia. nata_gul@mail.ru.|Department of Functional Biochemistry of the Nervous System, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova street 5a, Moscow, 117485, Russia. nata_gul@mail.ru.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gulyaeva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Depression; Female patients; HPA axis; Hair cortisol; Serum cortisol