Psychiatry Research
Volume 51, Issue 1, 1994, Pages 75-85

Psychological and endocrine abnormalities in refugees from East Germany: Part II. Serum levels of cortisol, prolactin, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, and testosterone (Article)

Bauer M. , Priebe S. , Gräf K.-J. , Kürten I. , Baumgartner A.
  • a [Affiliation not available]
  • b [Affiliation not available]
  • c [Affiliation not available]
  • d [Affiliation not available]
  • e [Affiliation not available]

Abstract

We investigated afternoon serum levels of cortisol, prolactin, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone in a group of 84 refugees who had fled from East to West Germany and suffered from psychiatric disorders within 6 weeks of their arrival in West Berlin. The mean hormone levels were compared with those of healthy control subjects. Cortisol levels were lower and LH levels were higher in the patients than in the control subjects, but only at trend levels of significance. No differences were found between the prolactin, FSH, or testosterone concentrations of the two groups. The patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) had a significantly higher mean cortisol level than the mean levels in the subgroups in whom posttraumatic stress disorder, dysthymia, and adjustment disorder were diagnosed. It can be concluded that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may "adapt" during severe long-term psychological stress and that long-term stress may be only one of the neurochemical mechanisms underlying the hypercortisolemia in patients with MDD. © 1994.

Author Keywords

Migration luteinizing hormone follicle stimulating hormone testosterone Affective disorder Stress prolactin posttraumatic stress disorder Cortisol

Index Keywords

Germany depression refugee Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System human Refugees Pituitary-Adrenal System Stress, Psychological controlled study priority journal comparative study Hydrocortisone Depressive Disorder dysthymia Mental Disorders maladjustment male Germany, East female stress Article major clinical study adult posttraumatic stress disorder hypothalamus hypophysis adrenal system Follicle Stimulating Hormone follitropin luteinizing hormone testosterone prolactin
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0027955544&doi=10.1016%2f0165-1781%2894%2990048-5&partnerID=40&md5=c4cec483260f1ec7c8a3f91d627173bc
DOI: 10.1016/0165-1781(94)90048-5
ISSN: 01651781
Cited by: 31
Original Language: English