Basal hypersecretion of cortisol in relation to abnormal dexamethasone suppression test response in depression

The activity of the hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal axis was evaluated in a group of patients with primary affective disorder by correlation of basal cortisol hypersecretion and abnormal response to dexamethasone suppression test (DST). The increase in basal cortisol was not found to be responsible for suppression failure. Moreover, this biochemical abnormality was common in the groups of psychiatric patients studied, although the physiopathologic mechanisms involved are different. Further research is necessary to clarify the results.