Depression Symptoms and Inflammation in Chronic Functional Constipation Patients

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Systemic inflammation is linked to depressive symptoms in chronic functional constipation (CFC).
• Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are accessible inflammation biomarkers.
• Understanding the relationship between inflammation and depression in CFC is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To profile inflammation biomarkers in patients with chronic functional constipation.
• To investigate the correlation between depressive symptoms and inflammation markers (NLR and PLR) in CFC patients.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 73 adults (18-59 years) diagnosed with CFC.
• Depressive symptoms assessed using Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II).
• Peripheral blood counts, liver/kidney function, electrolytes, NLR, and PLR data collected; analyzed using bivariate and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• 73% of CFC patients exhibited depressive symptoms (mild, moderate, or severe).
• Mean NLR and PLR were slightly higher in depressive subjects compared to non-depressive subjects, but without statistical significance (p>0.05).
• No significant differences in NLR or PLR were observed across depression severity levels.

Conclusions:

• CFC patients are typically middle-aged women, often housewives.
• Although inflammation biomarkers trended higher in CFC patients with depressive symptoms, the association was not statistically significant in this cohort.
• Further research may be needed to elucidate the complex relationship between inflammation and depression in CFC.