Acth and the dexamethasone suppression test in depression.

Hypercortisolemia, as measured by baseline serum Cortisol levels (Carroll and Mendels, 1976) and abnormal response to dexamethasone suppression test (DST) (Carroll et at., 1981) is thought to characterize abnormal hypothalamic-pituitory- adrenal (HPA) axis functions in patients of depression. Whether adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) shows similar abnormalities is a matter of controversy. Whereas Nasretal. (1983) and Roy et al. (1986) reported higher plasme ACTH levels in depressed patients as compared to controls. Fang et al. (1981) and Yerevanian and Woolf (1933) did not find such difference.