CLINICAL CHEMICAL DIAGNOSIS OF AFFECTIVE DISEASES BY MEANS OF A NEURO-ENDOCRINE FUNCTION-TEST

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  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 18  (12) , 867-877
Abstract
The stimulation of pituitary hormone secretion with thyroliberin and by insulin-induced hypoglycemia was investigated on 52 depressive patients and 12 postdepressive, lithium-treated subjects. The serum concentrations of somatotropin [GH], cortisol, prolactin, thyrotropin and glucose were followed for 2 h. Differences in the neuroendocrine response between endogenous and reactive (neurotic) depressive patients were observed, and changes during the course of the diseases were also recorded. Stimulation of GH and cortisol secretion, and the decrease of glucose are diminished in endogenous depressive patients, as compared to those of reactive depressive patients and healthy controls. GH stimulation maxima < 40 mU/l in depressive patients during the depressive phase are indicative of endogenous depression, rather than the reactive form, with a confidence probability of 0.9. An increase in the stimulation of GH and cortisol secretion can be shown after termination of endogenous depression. The GH maxima are then also lower than those found in reactive depression. The stimulation of GH secretion in lithium-treated psychosis-free subjects shows no difference from that of healthy controls; thyrotropin secretion increases. The weak, insulin-induced hypoglycemia, observed in these subjects, is higher (66%) than in the healthy controls. Fear and agitation have an inhibitory effect on the stimulation of the prolactin secretion during the depressive phase. The pituitary stimulation test offers a means of ascertaining the disturbed neuroendocrine function in affective diseases and objectifying the differential diagnosis of depressive syndromes.