Adrenal androgens and cortisol in major depression.

Nine depressed subjects and nine comparison subjects completed a study of abnormalities in adrenal androgen and cortisol metabolism. Serum levels of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) at 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. revealed hypercortisolemia and loss of diurnal DHA variation but not cortisol variation in the depressed group. These findings suggest that in depression, adrenal androgens, in contrast to cortisol, are partially regulated by mechanisms independent of ACTH.