TY - JOUR
T1 - Plasma androgens and the presence and course of depression in a large cohort of women
AU - de Wit, Anouk E.
AU - Giltay, Erik J.
AU - de Boer, Marrit K.
AU - Bosker, Fokko J.
AU - Cohn, Aviva Y.
AU - Nolen, Willem A.
AU - Kaiser, Ursula B.
AU - Joffe, Hadine
AU - Penninx, Brenda W.J.H.
AU - Schoevers, Robert A.
N1 - Funding Information: The infrastructure for the NESDA study (www.nesda.nl) is funded through the Geestkracht program of the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw, grant number 10-000-1002) and financial contributions by participating universities and mental health care organizations (Amsterdam University Medical Centers (location VUmc), GGZ inGeest, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, GGZ Rivierduinen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Lentis, GGZ Friesland, GGZ Drenthe, Rob Giel Onderzoekscentrum). Funding Information: A.E. de Wit, Dr. Giltay, Dr. de Boer, Dr. F.J. Bosker, A.Y. Cohn, Dr. W.A. Nolen, U.B. Kaiser, and Dr. R.A. Schoevers, report no financial relationships with commercials interests. H. Joffe’s research program is supported by grants from V Foundation, Merck, Pfizer, Que-Oncology, and NeRRe/KaNDy. H. Joffe is also a consultant for NeRRe/KaNDy, Merck, Sojournix, Eisai, and Jazz Pharmaceutical. B. Penninx has received research grants from Jansen Research and Boehringer Ingelheim. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Major depressive disorder (MDD) has a higher prevalence in women with supraphysiologic androgen levels. Whether there is also an association between depression and androgen levels in the physiological range, is unknown. This study examined if women with current MDD have higher androgen levels compared to women who have never had MDD, and if androgen levels are associated with onset and remission of MDD. In 1659 women (513 current MDD, 754 remitted MDD, and 392 never MDD), baseline plasma levels of total testosterone, 5α-dihydrotestosterone, and androstenedione were determined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) with radioimmunoassays. Free testosterone was calculated. MDD status was assessed at baseline, and at 2 and 4 years follow-up. Women were aged between 18 and 65 years (mean age 41) with total testosterone levels in the physiological range (geometric mean 0.72 nmol/L [95% CI 0.27–1.93]). After adjusting for covariates and multiple testing, women with current MDD had a higher mean free testosterone than women who never had MDD (adjusted geometric mean 8.50 vs. 7.55 pmol/L, p = 0.0005), but this difference was not large enough to be considered clinically meaningful as it was consistent with statistical equivalence. Levels of other androgens and SHBG did not differ and were also statistically equivalent between the groups. None of the androgens or SHBG levels predicted onset or remission of MDD. Our findings support the idea that plasma androgens within the physiological range have no or only limited effects on depressive disorders in women.
AB - Major depressive disorder (MDD) has a higher prevalence in women with supraphysiologic androgen levels. Whether there is also an association between depression and androgen levels in the physiological range, is unknown. This study examined if women with current MDD have higher androgen levels compared to women who have never had MDD, and if androgen levels are associated with onset and remission of MDD. In 1659 women (513 current MDD, 754 remitted MDD, and 392 never MDD), baseline plasma levels of total testosterone, 5α-dihydrotestosterone, and androstenedione were determined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) with radioimmunoassays. Free testosterone was calculated. MDD status was assessed at baseline, and at 2 and 4 years follow-up. Women were aged between 18 and 65 years (mean age 41) with total testosterone levels in the physiological range (geometric mean 0.72 nmol/L [95% CI 0.27–1.93]). After adjusting for covariates and multiple testing, women with current MDD had a higher mean free testosterone than women who never had MDD (adjusted geometric mean 8.50 vs. 7.55 pmol/L, p = 0.0005), but this difference was not large enough to be considered clinically meaningful as it was consistent with statistical equivalence. Levels of other androgens and SHBG did not differ and were also statistically equivalent between the groups. None of the androgens or SHBG levels predicted onset or remission of MDD. Our findings support the idea that plasma androgens within the physiological range have no or only limited effects on depressive disorders in women.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100831516&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01249-2
DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01249-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 33579903
SN - 2158-3188
VL - 11
JO - Translational Psychiatry
JF - Translational Psychiatry
IS - 1
M1 - 124
ER -