Elevated salivary dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate but normal cortisol levels in medicated depressed patients: preliminary findings.

Major depression is often associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In contrast to cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) has been less extensively studied in depressed patients. This study examined salivary morning and evening levels of cortisol and DHEA-S in 13 medicated, unipolar, non-psychotic depressed patients and 13 healthy volunteers.