@article{8be36db0179411de8478000ea68e967b,
title = "Salivary cortisol in unaffected twins discordant for affective disorder",
abstract = "Dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been proposed as a biological endophenotype for affective disorders. In the present study the hypothesis that a high genetic liability to affective disorder is associated with higher cortisol levels was tested in a cross-sectional high-risk study. Healthy monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins with (High-Risk twins) and without (Low-Risk twins) a co-twin history of affective disorder were identified through nationwide registers. Awakening and evening salivary cortisol levels were compared between the 190 High- and Low-Risk twins. The 109 High-Risk twins had significantly higher evening cortisol levels than the 81 Low-Risk MZ twins, also after adjustment for age, sex, and the level of subclinical depressive symptoms. No significant difference was found in awakening cortisol levels between High-Risk and Low-Risk twins. In conclusion, a high genetic liability to affective disorder was associated with a higher evening cortisol level, but not with awakening cortisol level. Future prospective family, high-risk and twin studies are needed to decide whether abnormalities in the HPA axis can be identified as an endophenotype of affective disorder.",
author = "Maj Vinberg and Bente Bennike and Kyvik, {Kirsten Ohm} and Andersen, {Per Kragh} and Kessing, {Lars Vedel}",
note = "Keywords: Adult; Bipolar Disorder; Circadian Rhythm; Depressive Disorder; Diseases in Twins; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Life Change Events; Male; Middle Aged; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Risk Factors; Saliva",
year = "2008",
doi = "10.1016/j.psychres.2007.08.001",
language = "English",
volume = "161",
pages = "292--301",
journal = "Psychiatry Research",
issn = "0165-1781",
publisher = "Elsevier Ireland Ltd",
number = "3",
}