A decrease in nocturnal serum melatonin levels was reported in patients with clinically uncharacterized coronary artery disease. To assess whether there was a correlation between melatonin production and disease stage, we measured the nocturnal urinary excretion of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (an index of blood melatonin concentration) in patients with chronic stable or unstable coronary disease and in a group of age-matched controls. Three groups of individuals were studied: a) 24 healthy subjects (mean age: 63 +/- 13 yr); b) 32 patients with chronic, stable, coronary disease (62 +/- 11 yr); and c) 27 patients with unstable angina (62 +/- 12 yr). For 6-sulphatoxymelatonin measurement, urine was collected from 18:00 to 06:00 hr, within 48 hr of hospitalization in the case of unstable angina. 6-Sulphatoxymelatonin was measured by a specific radioimmunoassay. Urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin excretion was significantly lower in unstable angina patients than in healthy subjects or in patients with stable angina. 6-Sulphatoxymelatonin correlated negatively with age in healthy subjects, but not in coronary patients. 6-Sulphatoxymelatonin excretion in patients treated with beta-adrenoceptor blockers did not differ significantly from coronary patients not receiving beta-blockers. The results indicate that patients with coronary disease have a low melatonin production rate, with greater decreases in those with higher risk of cardiac infarction and/or death.