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Research Article| Volume 20, ISSUE 10, P1047-1054, October 1985

Free triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) in a group of unipolar depressed patients and normal subjects

  • Paul J. Orsulak
    Correspondence
    Address reprint requests to Dr. Paul J. Orsulak, Psychiatric Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory (116A6), Veterans Administration Medical Center, 4500 South Lancaster Road, Dallas, TX 75216.
    Affiliations
    From the Departments of Psychiatry and Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas, and the Pycgistric Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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  • George Crowley
    Affiliations
    From the Departments of Psychiatry and Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas, and the Pycgistric Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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  • Michael A. Schlesser
    Affiliations
    From the Departments of Psychiatry and Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas, and the Pycgistric Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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  • Donna Giles
    Affiliations
    From the Departments of Psychiatry and Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas, and the Pycgistric Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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  • Carol Fairchild
    Affiliations
    From the Departments of Psychiatry and Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas, and the Pycgistric Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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  • A.John Rush
    Footnotes
    Affiliations
    From the Departments of Psychiatry and Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas, and the Pycgistric Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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  • Author Footnotes
    ∗ Supported in part by NIMH Grant MH35370 and by administrative support from the Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(85)90003-4
Free triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) in a group of unipolar depressed patients and normal subjects
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      Abstract

      We examined levels of free triiodothyronine (fT3) and free thyroxine (fT4) in serum from a group of 32 patients with unipolar major depression and 46 normal control subjects using the Amerlex (Amersham, Arlington Heights, IL) RIA procedures for these hormones. Free T3 levels were significantly lower (p < 0.004) in the depressed patients as a group (5.02 ± 1.01 pmol/L, mean ± SD) than in the normal control subjects (5.74 ± 1.23 pmol/L). Free T3 levels were lower (p < 0.01) in depressed men (5.25 ± 1.43 pmol/L) when compared with male control subjects (6.46 ± 1.01 pmol/L). Depressed women (4.78 ± 0.60 pmol/L) also had lower T3 levels than did the female control subjects (5.09 ± 1.06 pmol/L), but the difference was not statistically significant. Lower fT3 levels were also observed in melacholic depressed patients when compared with nonmelancholic depressed patients or when compared with normal control subjects. No differences in fT4 were observed between groups in this study.
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      Article info

      Publication history

      Received in revised form: May 3, 1985
      Received: February 25, 1985

      Identification

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(85)90003-4

      Copyright

      © 1985 Published by Elsevier Inc.

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