Cortisol and C-reactive protein (CRP) regulation in severe mental disorders.

Background: People with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) show abnormalities in the biological stress system and low-grade inflammation. However, whether the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis-immune regulation is disrupted in SZ and BD, is yet to be determined.

Methods: Cortisol and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in blood samples collected at or before 10 am in participants with SZ (N = 257), BD (N = 153), and healthy controls (N = 40).

Childhood Trauma Is Nominally Associated With Elevated Cortisol Metabolism in Severe Mental Disorder.

Objective: Individuals exposed to childhood trauma display longstanding modifications of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, as well as cognitive impairments. Schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SZ) and bipolar disorders (BD) are characterised by higher prevalence of childhood trauma, abnormal HPA axis, and cognitive dysfunction. Elevated cortisol metabolism was recently demonstrated in both disorders.