Neuroendocrine dysfunction in genetic subtypes of primary unipolar depression

Disinhibited activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) neuroendocrine system, characterized most specifically by abnormal responses to the dexamethasone suppression test (DST), is observed in 40-50% of patients with endogenous depression. The heterogeneity of endogenous depressives with respect to this neuroendocrine marker is so far unexplained. A recent report from Iowa suggested that genetic factors could account for this …