Table 2.

Molar ratio of cortisol/DHEA at baseline and after LDC stimulation in healthy subjects, patients with NL-HPA, and others with IMPAIRED-HPA

	Cortisol/DHEA molar ratio		P value baseline vs. LDC stimulated
	Baseline	LDC stimulated
Healthy subjects	35.3 ± 27.7	35.2 ± 21.6	0.93
NL- HPA	43.7 ± 28.9	47.9 ± 34.5	0.38
IMPAIRED-HPA	84.4 ± 124a	145 ± 238a	0.03
IMPAIRED-HPA who had an LDC-stimulated cortisol of >18.0 μg/dl	115 ± 26a	245 ± 115a	0.02

The molar ratio of cortisol to DHEA in patients with NL-HPA and healthy subjects were similar at baseline and did not change appreciably after LDC stimulation in either of these groups. However, in patients with impaired HPA function, the ratio was higher at baseline and increased further after LDC stimulation. The same finding was noted in the select group of patients with IMPAIRED-HPA but whose LDC-stimulated serum cortisol levels were greater than 18.0 μg/dl.

^aP = 0.03 as compared with respective values in healthy subjects and those with NL-HPA.