Alterations in Adipokine Levels Are Associated with Human Perinatal Anxiety and Depression

Background: Adipokines secreted by the adipose tissue and placenta play a critical role in regulating metabolic functions that are essential for fetoplacental development and embryonic growth. While adipokines are known to impact a wide range of physiological and pathological conditions, their role in affective disorders during pregnancy remains underexplored. In this study, we aimed to assess the serum levels of distinct adipokines and examine their association with anxiety and comorbid depression in pregnant women. Methods: Third-trimester pregnant women with severe anxiety (ANX, n = 45) and anxiety plus depressive symptoms (ANX + DEP, n = 61) were enrolled in the study, along with healthy control subjects (CTRL, n = 33). Participants were classified using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Serum levels of adiponectin, adipsin, leptin, and resistin were quantified by flow cytometry-based immunoassay. Clinical, biochemical, and demographic parameters were analyzed using ANOVA with a post hoc Tukey test. Pearson bivariate and partial correlations were performed to assess associations between variables. Results: Adipokine serum levels were significantly higher in the symptomatic groups (ANX, ANX + DEP) than in the CTRL group (p < 0.001). Adiponectin, leptin, and resistin levels positively correlated with anxiety symptoms (HARS, p < 0.01). Furthermore, resistin levels showed a strong association with depressive symptoms (HDRS, p = 0.001) in the ANX + DEP group, after adjusting all parameters by clinical confounders. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that both pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokine levels are elevated in women with affective symptoms during late pregnancy. Pro-inflammatory properties of leptin and resistin may contribute to the severity of anxiety symptoms. Notably, resistin emerges as a key adipokine associated with the expression of depressive symptoms. In addition, adiponectin, acting as an anti-inflammatory mediator, may counteract the inflammatory responses induced by leptin and resistin. These results provide new insights into the role of specific adipocytokine in women with affective disorders during late pregnancy.