Selective increase in plasma luteinising hormone concentrations in drug free young men with mania

Abstract

The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal system was investigated in drug free young men with either mania or acute schizophrenia and in age matched controls by measuring, at frequent intervals during a 17 hour “neuroendocrine day,” plasma concentrations of luteinising hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone, prolactin, testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and cortisol. Plasma LH in mania was significantly increased compared with the control value at all time periods and increased in the morning and evening samples compared with values in the schizophrenic patients. Plasma prolactin and cortisol concentrations were significantly greater in mania and schizophrenia compared with control values at several times during the day, but there were no significant between group differences in plasma testosterone or SHBG. These results show that (a) in young men with mania there is a major disturbance in the central mechanisms that control the release of LH, (b) the control of prolactin and cortisol secretion is abnormal in mania and acute schizophrenia, and (c) plasma LH concentrations may provide a useful hormonal diagnostic test for mania. © 1985, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.