The change of inflammatory cytokines after antidepressant treatment and correlation with depressive symptoms

The objective of this study was to explore the serum levels of IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-a, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with depression before and after treatment and their correlation with the clinical symptoms of depression.

Fifty depression patients newly diagnosed and untreated in the Fourth People's Hospital of Wuhu were chosen as the depression group, while 50 healthy individuals from the same period served as the control group. We contrasted the serum levels of these markers of inflammation in both groups. After 8 weeks of SSRI antidepressant therapy, changes in inflammatory cytokines, hs-CRP, and HAMD-17 scores were evaluated in the depression group.

The levels of serum inflammatory cytokines and hs-CRP in patients with depression were higher than the healthy control group significantly (P < 0.05). After treatment, the levels of serum inflammatory cytokines and hs-CRP in patients with depression decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The total score of HAMD-17 and the scores of sleep, cognitive impairment, inhibition, and anxiety somatization factors in the depression group were decreased than those before treatment (P < 0.01). The serum IL-1 concentration in the depression group inversely related to the decrease in the HAMD-17 inhibition factor (R = -0.359,P = 0.011); The serum IL-6 concentration change rate positively correlated with the reduction rate of the cognitive impairment factor of HAMD-17 (R = 0.426,P = 0.017); the change rate of hs-CRP concentration was positively correlated with the reduction rate of the anxiety somatization factor of HAMD-17 (R = 0.343,P = 0.015).

Antidepressant treatment affects the levels of serum inflammatory cytokines and hs-CRP significantly, and is correlated with changes in clinical symptoms.