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Published on: August 9, 2017

Relation of depression, natural killer cell function, and infections after coronary artery bypass in women

Lynn V Doering1, Otoniel Martínez-Maza, Donna L Vredevoe

  • 1UCLA School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6918, United States. ldoering@sonnet.ucla.edu

European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
|August 25, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Women with major depression after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) experience more infections, potentially linked to reduced natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC), especially for non-wound infections.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Infection is a common complication following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
  • Depression is linked to immune dysfunction, but its impact on post-CABG infections is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) and infection rates in depressed versus non-depressed women post-CABG.
  • To investigate if NKCC mediates the association between depression and post-discharge infections.

Main Methods:

  • Sixty-seven women were assessed for depression and followed for six months after CABG.
  • Major depression was diagnosed via clinical interview; infections were identified through patient reports and medical records.

Main Results:

  • Depressed women had lower NKCC, higher rates of all-cause infections, and more self-reported illnesses compared to non-depressed women.
  • NKCC mediated the link between depression and non-wound infections (e.g., pneumonia, respiratory infections), but not wound infections.

Conclusions:

  • Major depression increases infection risk in women during the first six months post-CABG.
  • Reduced NKCC may contribute to the higher incidence of non-wound infections in these patients.
Abstract

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