Abstract
A group of84 adolescents after suicidalpoisoning (SP) with no history of psychiatric treatment was compared to that of 30 adolescents after accidental poisoning (AP). The aimof the study was to seek for a relationship betweenpsychiatric and biological determinants of suicidal behaviours in adolescents. In each subjectcortisol concentration was estimated prior to andafter dexamethasone (DST) administration. Hyperactivationwas expected of the subthalamical-hypophyseal-suprarenal axis, as well as of interleukin-2 (Il-2) , its solvable receptor (sIl-2R),alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, and factor 3 of the complementsystem –all these could confirm the immunologicalsystem hyperactivity. The research findings indicate that female gender and depressivedisorders, mostly adaptive, may be regarded asrisk factors for suicide in adolescents. No significantrelationship was found between the distinguisheddiagnostic subcategories and increasedlevels of the parameters under study –only higherlevels ofIl-2 were somewhat more frequent amongadolescents with marked depression (p<0.1).However, increased I1-2 levels and lack of cortisolinhibition in DST turned out to be significantlyrelated to persistent suicidal thoughts andtendencies, i.e. to an increased risk of re-attemptedsuicide.