Morning and Nocturnal Serum Melatonin Rhythm Levels in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study; [Medir Los Niveles Del Ritmo De Melatonina Dia-Noche Entre Los Pacientes Con Trastorno Depresivo Mayor: Un Estudio Analitico Transversal] Publisher Pubmed



Khaleghipour S¹ ; Masjedi M^{2, 5} ; Ahade H^{3, 5} ; Enayate M¹ ; Pasha G¹ ; Nadery F¹ ; Ahmadzade G^{4, 5} Show Affiliations
Source: Sao Paulo Medical Journal Published:2012

Abstract

Context and objective: The pineal gland is an adaptive organ that precisely regulates the biological rhythms of melatonin brain hemostasis. Variation in the regulation of melatonin rhythms is a likely cause of depressive disorder. The purpose of this study was to measure serum melatonin levels in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and normal control subjects. Design and setting: Analytical cross-sectional study at the industrial medical unit of the Iron Smelting Company of Isfahan*Iran. Methods: The morning and nocturnal serum melatonin levels of patients and controls were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. All data were assessed using variance analysis. Results: The morning and nocturnal serum melatonin levels of depressed and healthy subjects differed (P ≤ 0.05). The nocturnal serum melatonin levels of depressed women were lower than those of depressed men (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: The findings of this study showed that the nocturnal serum melatonin levels in the depressed patients were lower than in the controls. Thus*the peak melatonin phase in the depressed patients was reached with delay.