RESPONSE TO OCRH IN DEPRESSED AND NONDEPRESSED ADOLESCENTS - DOES GENDER MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Objective: To examine the hypothesis that hypothalamic-pituitary-adren al responses to stress vary across gender, contributing to gender diff erences in the prevalence of depression. Method: This study examined g ender differences between depressed (n = 21) and control (n = 20) adol escents in adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol response to two ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (oCRH) tests, at baseline a nd following a cognitive stressor. Results: Boys had higher(p < .05) m easures of ACTH than girls, regardless of depression status, whereas c orresponding cortisol parameters were similar in both groups. Cortisol measures were higher (p < .05) at time 1 than at time 2 in both group s, a phenomenon that might reflect the novelty of the situation. Concl usions: Gender differences in hormone responses may be related to diff erences in peripheral metabolism of ACTH, resulting in changes of immu noreactivity but not bioactivity or a different set point of the hypot halamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The pattern of ACTH and cortisol respo nses to oCRH and the 24-hour excretion of free cortisol was normal in adolescents with depression, probably reflecting normal negative feedb ack mechanisms at this age or that most of these patients suffer from atypical rather than melancholic depression.