The association of proopiomelanocortin polymorphisms with the risk of major depressive disorder and the response to antidepressants via interactions with stressful life events.
A function test combining the pre-treatment of 1.5 mg dexamethasone (DEX) with a challenge of 100 microg corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) reveals a pathological increase in the adrenocorticotropin and cortisol release in patients with major depression.
Our findings argue for a role of the SLC6A15 gene in ACTH and cortisol secretion during the Dex/CRH test and furthermore in the occurrence of cognitive impairments in unipolar depression.
Increased adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels predict severity of depression after six months of follow-up in outpatients with major depressive disorder.