[Study of intersystemic hormonal interrelations in patients with depression].

The serum levels of hypophysis-thyroid hormones, trophic hypophyseal hormones (STH and prolactin), and cortisol were studied in depressed patients. A total of 52 subjects were under investigation: 52 healthy persons (control), 27 depressed patients of which 8 had neurotic and 9 endogenous depression. The data point to a "concealed" hypothyroid state in depressed patients without overt clinical signs of endocrine disorders. The STH and prolactin hypophyseal secretion was upset that was evidenced by the decrease in these hormones blood serum contents (-74% and 37%, respectively). The cortisol blood level was also decreased though to a lesser degree (-15.4%). Different degrees of changes in STH and prolactin levels reflecting the hormones interrelationship, allowed the authors to recommend the STH/prolactin ratio as an additional diagnostic test for neurotic (0.230 +/- 0.058) and endogenous (0.0425 +/- 0.006) depression.