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. 2014 Jul;39(7):1245-53.
doi: 10.1007/s11064-014-1305-3. Epub 2014 Apr 11.

Level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in patients with acute schizophrenia, unipolar depression or bipolar disorder

Affiliations

Level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in patients with acute schizophrenia, unipolar depression or bipolar disorder

Adam Wysokiński et al. Neurochem Res. 2014 Jul.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate differences in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level in patients with acute schizophrenia, unipolar depression, bipolar depression and bipolar mania. Serum level of TSH was measured in 1,685 Caucasian patients (1,064 women, 63.1%; mean age 46.4). Mean serum TSH concentration was: schizophrenia (n = 769) 1.71 μIU/mL, unipolar depression (n = 651) 1.63 μIU/mL, bipolar disorder (n = 264) 1.86 μIU/mL, bipolar depression (n = 203) 2.00 μIU/mL, bipolar mania (n = 61) 1.38 μIU/mL (H = 11.58, p = 0.009). Depending on the normal range used, the overall rate of being above or below the normal range was 7.9-22.3% for schizophrenia, 13.9-26.0% for unipolar depression, 10.8-27.6% for bipolar disorder, 12.2-28.5% for bipolar depression, and 11.4-24.5% for bipolar mania. We have also found differences in TSH levels between the age groups (≤20, >20 years and ≤40, >40 years and ≤60 years and >60 years). TSH level was negatively correlated with age (r = -0.23, p < 0.001). Weak correlations with age have been found in the schizophrenia (r = -0.21, p < 0.001), unipolar depression (r = -0.23, p < 0.001), bipolar depression (r = -0.25, p = 0.002) and bipolar disorder (r = -0.21, p = 0.005) groups. Our results confirm that there may be a higher prevalence of thyroid dysfunctions in patients with mood disorders (both unipolar and bipolar) and that these two diagnostic groups differ in terms of direction and frequency of thyroid dysfunctions.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Total number of patients and stratification of patients into diagnostic groups
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Mean TSH levels [μIU/mL] with standard error in subjects with schizophrenia, unipolar depression, bipolar depression and bipolar mania
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Mean TSH levels [μIU/mL] with standard error in subjects with schizophrenia, unipolar depression and bipolar disorder

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