ABSTRACT
We have previously found that the relationship between the urinary content of alpha1-microglobulin (alpha1M) and ulinastatin (UT) in patients with mood disorders (MD) differs from that in age-matched healthy subjects. Similar results were obtained for the relationship between the content of free forms of alpha1M and UT in serum, and that between the ratio of the content of free form to the total (free + bound forms) content (F/T ratio) of alpha1M and UT in serum. As for the content of alpha1M and UT in serum, statistical differences were not observed between MD patients and healthy subjects with regard to the respective total content of alpha1M and UT nor the F/T ratio of alpha1M, whereas the F/T ratio of UT was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in MD patients than in healthy subjects. Furthermore, the serum cortisol content was higher in MD patients than in healthy subjects, and a positive correlation between cortisol content and F/T ratios of UT was demonstrated in the present investigation. These results suggest that the equilibrium of free and bound forms of UT in serum, but not of alpha1M, tends to decrease the free-form level of UT in MD patients. The efficiency of cortisol, which might increase the free-form level of UT, markedly deteriorated in MD patients.
