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Sex Differences in the Peripheral Immune System in Patients with Depression
Badari Birur1, Ellen M Amrock1, Richard C Shelton1
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|July 4, 2017
Summary
Depression is more common in females, and this study found sex-specific inflammation patterns. Depressed females showed distinct inflammatory markers compared to males, suggesting new treatment avenues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Females experience depression twice as often as males.
- A link between inflammation and depression is emerging.
- It's unclear if this higher prevalence in women is sex-specific or inflammation-driven.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex-specific differences in inflammation among depressed individuals.
- To determine if depressed females exhibit higher inflammation than depressed males.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 200 participants.
- Assessed depressive symptoms using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).
- Measured inflammatory markers in blood samples.
Main Results:
- Depressed females reported more suicidal thoughts, pessimism, and lassitude than depressed males.
- Depressed females showed elevated levels of IL-8, interferon-γ, leptin, and reduced IL-5, adiponectin compared to female controls.
- Depressed females had higher IL-6 and leptin than depressed males, even after controlling for BMI.
Conclusions:
- A sex-specific relationship exists between inflammation and depression.
- Inflammatory markers correlate with specific depression symptoms in females.
- Findings may aid in identifying psychopathology and developing immunomodulatory treatments for depressed females.
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