Saliva level of free 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) as a biological index of anxiety disorders

To access the saliva level of free 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) a s a biological index of anxiety disorders, gender- or age-dependent changes in saliva MHPG level in patients with anxiety disorders were investigated. Saliva MHPG levels in 196 normal volunteers (59 male, 137 female) and 42 o utpatients with anxiety disorders (20 male, 22 female) at the initial consu ltation to the hospital were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectromet ry. Saliva MHPG levels in patients were higher than those in normal subject s. The increase in saliva MHPG levels in male patients was greater than tha t in female patients. Age-associated increase in the saliva MHPG level was greater in patients than in normal subjects. Especially, a significant inte raction of age vs. patient effect was found in female subjects (P = 0.0005) , but not in male subjects (P = 0.174). These data indicate that the measur ement of saliva MHPG would be valuable for detecting pathological anxiety i n male patients regardless of age and in older female patients, but not in younger female patients. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.