Table II.

Plasma concentrations of cortisol (ng/ml).

Groups	No.	T0	T1	T2	T3	T4	P-value
I	15	151.4±38.8	210.3±67.0	246.1±78.8	273.8±54.8	270.7±44.6	<0.01
II	14	160.7±42.7	201.2±38.2	222.8±50.7	238.7±71.9	188.2±53.1	<0.01
III	14	153.6±36.2	170.4±60.4	180.7±55.1	276.3±89.7	249.3±59.1	<0.01
IV	14	173.3±41.5	166.9±46.8	172.8±48.7	216.6±73.5	181.3±69.0	0.16
P-value		0.46	<0.01	<0.01	0.09	<0.01

Differences between groups by time period: T0, no significance. T1, I VS. III, P<0.01; I VS. IV, P=0.04; II VS. III, P<0.01; AND III VS. IV, P<0.01. T2, I VS. III, P<0.01; I VS. IV, P<0.01; AND II VS. IV, P=0.03. T3, I VS. IV, P=0.04; AND III VS. IV, P=0.04. T4, I VS. II, P<0.01; I VS. IV, P<0.01; II VS. III, P<0.01; AND III VS. IV, P<0.01. Differences between time periods compared TO T0 for each group: I, T0 VS. T1, P<0.01; T0 VS. T2, P<0.01; T0 VS. T3, P<0.01; AND T0 VS. T4, P<0.01. II, T0 VS. T1, P=0.04; T0 VS. T2, P<0.01; AND T0 VS. T3, P<0.01. III, T0 VS. T3, P<0.01; AND T0 VS. T4, P=0.01. IV, no significance.