Am J Psychiatry 1992; 149:1162-1167
Copyright © 1992 by American Psychiatric Association
Association of beta-endorphin with specific clinical symptoms of depression
DF Darko, SC Risch, JC Gillin and S Golshan
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego.
OBJECTIVE: Abnormalities in plasma concentrations of beta-endorphin- like
immunoreactivity (beta-endorphin) have been reported in depressed patients.
This study was done to test the hypothesis that specific clinical
characteristics of depression are associated with plasma beta- endorphin
concentration. METHOD: Plasma beta-endorphin was evaluated in 20 depressed
patients diagnosed according to DSM-III-R and in 23 age- and sex-matched
comparison subjects, and each was evaluated with the structured Schedule
for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS). Twelve SADS items
involving dysphoric mood and related symptoms were chosen for analysis.
RESULTS: Within the group of all 43 subjects and within the depressed
group, beta-endorphin level correlated significantly with psychic anxiety
and with phobia. In the depressed group only, beta-endorphin also
correlated significantly with obsessions/compulsions. Concentration of
beta-endorphin was not significantly correlated with score on the Hamilton
Rating Scale for Depression or Beck Depression Inventory or with scores on
other SADS symptom items, including somatic anxiety, insomnia, subjective
anger, overt anger, agitation, psychomotor retardation, panic attacks,
appetite loss, or total weight loss. In the group of 23 comparison
subjects, beta-endorphin did not correlate with Beck or Hamilton depression
score or with any of the SADS clinical variables. CONCLUSIONS: High levels
of plasma beta-endorphin may be associated with more severe anxiety,
phobia, and obsessions/compulsions in depressed patients.
