Altération in the hypothalamicpituitary-ovarian axis in depressed women

mone inhibit the reproductive axis. We hypothesized that reproductive axis hormone secretion, particularly lutein-izing hormone secretion, is inhibited in women with de-pression, similar to what has been observed to be caused by stress in numerous species. Methods: Blood samples were collected every 10 min-utes for 12 hours in 25 untreated premenopausal women with depression and 25 nondepressed women who were matched by age and menstrual cycle day. Samples were assayed for luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, and progesterone. Results: The mean plasma estradiol level was 30 % lower in the follicular phase in women with depression than in their matched controls: 191±136 vs 261±169 pmol/L (52±37 vs 71±46 pg/mL). The half-life of luteinizing hor