Lack of effects of hospitalization and oral contraceptives on DST results in control subjects

• Published in: Biological psychiatry (1969) Vol. 22; no. 12; pp. 1499 - 1502
• Main Authors: D'haenen, Hugo, de Weert, Denise, Ansseau, Marc
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.12.1987; Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Adult; Belgium; Biological and medical sciences; Biology; Clinical Research; Contraception; Contraceptive Methods; Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal - administration & dosage; Depression; Depressive Disorder; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Developed Countries; Dexamethasone; Diseases; Endocrine System; Estrogens; Estrogens - administration & dosage; Europe; Examinations And Diagnoses; Family Planning; Female; Hormones; Hospitalization; Human; Human Volunteers; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hydrocortisone - blood; Laboratory Examinations And Diagnoses; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders; Miscellaneous; Oral Contraceptives; Physiology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Research Methodology; Sciences sociales & comportementales, psychologie; Screening; Social & behavioral sciences, psychology; Stress, Psychological; Stress, Psychological - complications; Techniques and methods; Traitement & psychologie clinique; Treatment & clinical psychology; Western Europe; Human; Pharmacologic test; Methodology; Estrogen; Contraception; Hospitalization; Stress; Dexamethasone test; Affective disorder; Test validation; Major depression; Error diagnostic; Hormonal investigation; Hypothalamohypophysocorticoadrenal axis; Laboratory Examinations And Diagnoses; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Europe; Depression; Biology; Hormones; Family Planning; Research Methodology; Examinations And Diagnoses; Endocrine System; Diseases; Western Europe; Screening; Developed Countries; Belgium; Clinical Research; Mental Disorders; Contraceptive Methods; Human Volunteers; Physiology; Oral Contraceptives
• ISSN: 0006-3223; 1873-2402
• DOI: 10.1016/0006-3223(87)90113-2

The effect of oral contraceptive use and hospitalization stress on the results of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) were assessed. This test, in which 1 mg dexamethasone is given at 11:00 p.m., and blood cortisol is analyzed the following day, is used as an indicator or major or endogenous depression, as opposed to situational depression, but specificity of the test remains in dispute. The test subjects were 15 normal volunteers, mostly staff, and 27 surgical patients, who were planning orthopedic surgery the following day. Of the 20 women, 7 took oral contraceptives, (Sequilar, Microgynon 50, Trigynon, Microgynon 30 and Diane). Cortisol was radioimmunoassayed at 4:00 p.m. in volunteers and at 8:00, 4:00 and 11:00 p.m. in hospital patients. Only 1 subject had a positive test (non-suppressor), a non oral contraceptive user, with a cut-off point of 50 mcg/L. The hospital patients' cortisol levels were slightly higher (n.s.). Pill users' cortisol levels were unchanged.