Increased adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels predict severity of depression after six months of follow-up in outpatients with major depressive disorder.
The association of proopiomelanocortin polymorphisms with the risk of major depressive disorder and the response to antidepressants via interactions with stressful life events.
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.
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.