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Published on: August 15, 2017
Alterations in the Serum Proteome Following Electroconvulsive Therapy for a Major Depressive Episode: A Longitudinal
Andreas Göteson1, Caitlin C Clements2,3, Anders Juréus2
1Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Background:
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment for severe depression, but the biological changes induced by ECT remain poorly understood.
Methods:
This study investigated alterations in blood serum proteins in 309 patients receiving ECT for a major depressive episode. We analyzed 201 proteins in samples collected at 3 time points (T): just before the first ECT treatment session (T0), within 30 minutes after the first ECT session (T1), and just before the sixth ECT session (T2).
Results:
Using statistical models to account for repeated sampling, we identified 152 and 70 significantly (<5% false discovery rate) altered proteins at T1 and T2, respectively. The most pronounced alterations at T1 were transiently increased levels of prolactin, myoglobin, and kallikrein-6. However, most proteins had decreased levels at T1, with the largest effects observed for pro-epidermal growth factor, proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src, tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 14, sulfotransferase 1A1, early activation antigen CD69, and CD40 ligand. The change of several acutely altered proteins correlated with electric current and pulse frequency in a dose-response-like manner. Over a 5-session course of ECT, some acutely altered levels were sustained while others increased, e.g., serine protease 8 and chitinase-3-like protein 1. None of the studied protein biomarkers were associated with clinical response to ECT.
Conclusions:
We report experimental data on alterations in the circulating proteome triggered by ECT in a clinical setting. The findings implicate hormonal signaling, immune response, apoptotic processes, and more. None of the findings were associated with clinical response to ECT.
Insights
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) alters blood serum proteins, impacting hormonal signaling and immune responses. These proteomic changes, however, did not correlate with clinical improvement in patients with severe depression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Proteomics
Background:
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective treatment for severe depression.
- The underlying biological mechanisms and proteomic alterations induced by ECT are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in blood serum proteins following electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients with major depressive episodes.
- To identify specific proteins and biological pathways affected by ECT.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 201 serum proteins in 309 patients at three time points: before ECT (T0), immediately after the first session (T1), and before the sixth session (T2).
- Employed statistical models to identify significant protein alterations, considering repeated measures.
Main Results:
- Identified 152 and 70 significantly altered proteins at T1 and T2, respectively.
- Observed transient increases in prolactin and myoglobin, and decreases in proteins like pro-epidermal growth factor and CD40 ligand at T1.
- Some protein level changes correlated with ECT parameters (current, pulse frequency) and persisted or increased over five sessions.
- No identified protein biomarkers were associated with clinical response to ECT.
Conclusions:
- ECT induces significant alterations in the circulating proteome, involving hormonal signaling, immune response, and apoptotic processes.
- The study provides novel data on ECT-induced proteomic changes in a clinical setting.
- The findings highlight the complexity of ECT's biological effects but do not identify biomarkers for treatment response.
