SUMMAR Y Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone (GH) secretagogue receptor, stimulates sleep, appetite and weight gain as well as the secretion of GH, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol in humans and rodents. The interaction between nocturnal ghrelin levels, sleep EEG and the secretion of these hormones was not investigated systematically so far. Furthermore conflicting data exist on gender differences in nocturnal ghrelin secretion. We examined simultaneously sleep EEG and the nocturnal levels of ghrelin, GH, ACTH and cortisol in young and middle-aged normal human subjects (eight males, eight females). A significant interaction between gender and the course of ghrelin concentration was observed to the interval between 20:00 and 23:00 hours. In males a continuous increase of ghrelin levels before sleep onset was found. In females, however, a rise of ghrelin during the night was missed. We found a trend suggesting a lower time spent in stage I sleep in subjects with high nocturnal ghrelin levels. Other systematic interactions between plasma ghrelin, sleep EEG and other hormones were not found. No peak in plasma ghrelin levels resembling the GH surge was observed. We suggest that under naturalistic conditions plasma ghrelin levels show no distinct interaction with sleep.k e y w o r d s adrenocorticotrophic hormone, cortisol, gender, ghrelin, growth hormone, sleep endocrinology

2,47). We compared 3 groups: 1. MDD without comorbidity (N¼147), 2. MDD with comorbidity (no ADHD) (N¼249), 3. MDD with ADHD with/without other comorbidity (N¼87). Diagnoses were determined by semi-structured interview, quality of life was measured by self-report and parental report. Groups were compared by ANOVA, post hoc comparisons were done in cases of significant differences. Results: The MDD with ADHD group differed from the others in gender distribution, younger age at onset of depression, more frequent hospitalization and/or outpatient treatment. Child reported QL was not different among the groups. Parent reported QL was the highest in the MDD without comorbidity group, somewhat decreased in the MDD with comorbidity group and lowest in the MDD and ADHD group. Conclusions: ADHD worsens the course of MDD in children and adolescents. Quality of life of depressed children decreases further by additional comorbidity, but ADHD has the most negative effect in parents' opinion. It is important to ask both parent and child in examining QL of children.

A recently described 54-kDa protein has been detected in six type strains and three patient isolates of Chlamydia pneumoniae by immunoblotting with sera from patients positive for antibodies to C. pneumoniae by the microimmunofluorescence test. This protein was not found in either C. trachomatis E or C. psittaci Z 432 as an antigen, confirming its species specificity. The 54-kDa protein was isolated by continuous-elution electrophoresis and immunoglobulin G monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the isolated antigen were produced. MAb 8B11E6 reacted only with the 54-kDa band of C. pneumoniae and not with C. trachomatis E or C. psittaci in a Western immunoblot assay. This antibody was purified and tested for neutralizing activity together with three additional anti-p54-active MAbs (8B11E6, 8B11B4, and 10F1C1). In Buffalo green monkey cells, all of the MAbs significantly reduced the infectivity of C. pneumoniae elementary bodies, whereas no neutralizing activity could be observed with C. trachomatis E or C. psittaci Z 432. These results not only confirm the species specificity of the 54-kDa protein but also indicate that this protein might play an important role in the pathogenesis of C. pneumoniae infection. Furthermore, the results suggest a possible protective role of anti-p54 antibodies in an adaptive immune response.

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