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Immunity in adolescents with major depression
Steven J Schleifer1, Jacqueline A Bartlett, Steven E Keller
1Department of Psychiatry, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark 07103, USA.
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|September 10, 2002
Summary
Adolescents with major depression (MD) show distinct immune changes, including altered lymphocyte subsets and natural killer (NK) cell activity, differing from other age groups. This highlights unique immune responses in adolescent depression.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Psychiatry
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Major depression (MD) exhibits age-related immune alterations.
- Limited data exists on adolescent MD and immune function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate immune system changes in adolescents with MD.
- To compare immune measures between depressed and non-depressed adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Compared 36 medication-free adolescents with MD to 36 matched controls.
- Assessed quantitative and functional immune measures.
Main Results:
- MD adolescents had increased lymphocytes but lower percentages of activated T cells and possibly NK cells.
- Lower mitogen response (Concanavalin A) observed in MD adolescents.
- Elevated NK cell activity found, independent of NK cell numbers.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent MD is associated with specific immune alterations.
- The immune profile in adolescent MD differs from other age groups with MD.