The authors studied CSF corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and plasma
cortisol in 22 depressed patients and 18 normal control subjects. CRH
levels were similar in the two groups. Depressed patients who were
nonsuppressors on the dexamethasone suppression test had significantly
higher levels of CRH than suppressors did. The depressed patients' CRH
levels were significantly correlated with 4:00 p.m. postdexamethasone
plasma cortisol levels. While the inclusion of a depressed patient with an
outlier CRH value resulted in the loss of statistical significance for both
of these findings, the authors suggest that these results support the
hypothesis that hypercortisolism in depressed patients in part reflects a
defect at or above the hypothalamus, resulting in hypersecretion of
CRH.Abstract Teaser