TY - JOUR
T1 - Elevated fingernail cortisol levels in major depressive episodes
AU - Herane-Vives, Andres
AU - Fischer, Susanne
AU - de Angel, Valeria
AU - Wise, Toby
AU - Cheung, Eric
AU - Chua, Kia Chong
AU - Arnone, Danilo
AU - Young, Allan H.
AU - Cleare, Anthony J.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by departmental funds generated by AJC, AHV and AHY and start up funds from the Academy of Medical Sciences to DA (Ref. AMS-SGCL8). AHV was supported by a Chilean Bicentennial Fund Scholarship from the Bicentennial Fund for Human Capital Development (Becas Chile) and by the Psychiatric Research Trust . SF was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation . AJC, TW and AHY are supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London . This study represents independent research part funded by the NIHR/Wellcome Trust , King's Clinical Research Facility and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London . The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS. The authors would like to thank the staff of the NIHR/Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility at King’s College Hospital and the Clínica Psiquíatrica Universitaria and Oficina de Apoyo a la Investigación Clínica (OAIC) of University of Chile for their support in the conduct of the study. We also would like to thank Irene Papadopoulos for her support regarding the biochemical analysis. We thank the Mental Health Research Network for contributing to this study and all participants of this study for their support. The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2018/2
Y1 - 2018/2
N2 - Background The extent to which cortisol levels are elevated in major depressive episodes (MDE), and hence could act as a biomarker of illness, remains unclear. Although patient characteristics may explain some of this variation – for example elevated cortisol being more often found in patients with severe, psychotic or melancholic depression – problems with the methods used to measure cortisol may also have contributed to the inconsistent findings. Fingernails are a novel sample that can be used to assess aggregate cortisol concentrations over a 15-day period, and may provide a more accurate reflection of longer term cortisol level changes in MDE and help clarify this issue. This methodology has not yet been utilised in MDE. Methods Cortisol levels reflecting a period of 15 days were measured using fingernails in a group of 26 subjects experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE) and in an age and gender matched group of 45 healthy controls. Results Depressed subjects showed significantly higher mean cortisol levels measured in fingernails when compared with control subjects. Higher levels of cortisol were associated with higher depression severity scores, a diagnosis of non-reactive depression, and more prominent melancholic symptoms. Conversely, fatigue was negatively correlated with cortisol levels. Conclusion There is elevated cortisol in MDE when assessed using an aggregate measure over two weeks.Alterations in fingernail cortisol correlate with key clinical symptoms and subtypes of depression.
AB - Background The extent to which cortisol levels are elevated in major depressive episodes (MDE), and hence could act as a biomarker of illness, remains unclear. Although patient characteristics may explain some of this variation – for example elevated cortisol being more often found in patients with severe, psychotic or melancholic depression – problems with the methods used to measure cortisol may also have contributed to the inconsistent findings. Fingernails are a novel sample that can be used to assess aggregate cortisol concentrations over a 15-day period, and may provide a more accurate reflection of longer term cortisol level changes in MDE and help clarify this issue. This methodology has not yet been utilised in MDE. Methods Cortisol levels reflecting a period of 15 days were measured using fingernails in a group of 26 subjects experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE) and in an age and gender matched group of 45 healthy controls. Results Depressed subjects showed significantly higher mean cortisol levels measured in fingernails when compared with control subjects. Higher levels of cortisol were associated with higher depression severity scores, a diagnosis of non-reactive depression, and more prominent melancholic symptoms. Conversely, fatigue was negatively correlated with cortisol levels. Conclusion There is elevated cortisol in MDE when assessed using an aggregate measure over two weeks.Alterations in fingernail cortisol correlate with key clinical symptoms and subtypes of depression.
KW - Fingernail cortisol depression
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U2 - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.10.026
DO - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.10.026
M3 - Article
C2 - 29153629
AN - SCOPUS:85034113522
SN - 0306-4530
VL - 88
SP - 17
EP - 23
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
ER -