Endocrinological studies in alcoholics during withdrawal and after abstinence

Several endocrine parameters were assessed in 35 alcoholic inpatients after admission to hospital, and 17 of the 35 were retested after several weeks of sobriety. No difference was found in clonidine-stimulated growth hormone (GH) secretion between male alcoholics and male healthy controls, but significant positive correlations of GH secretion and alcohol content in expired breath on admission and gamma-GT values after abstinence were observed. Nonsuppression in the dexamethasone suppression test was found in 17% of the patients on admission, which seemed to be due to alcohol withdrawal. Postdexamethasone cortisol levels were significantly positively correlated with the "apathic syndrome" (r = 0.40; p less than or equal to 0.05). About one-third of the patients showed a blunted response in the TRH-test both on admission and after abstinence. No significant influence of alcohol intake, withdrawal or familial disposition on prolactin values could be detected. The results of the TRH test and the DST point to similar endocrinological patterns in alcoholics as in depressive patients and thus support the hypothesis of a link between alcoholism and depression.