Lower ANXA3 Levels May Be Related to Major Depressive Disorder.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• Clinical Psychiatry

Background:

• Annexin A3 (ANXA3) is a calcium-binding protein involved in inflammation and membrane phospholipid metabolism.
• Altered ANXA3 levels are observed in some psychotic disorders, but its role in major depressive disorder (MDD) remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare serum ANXA3 levels between MDD patients and healthy controls.
• To investigate the relationship between serum ANXA3 levels and depression severity in MDD.

Main Methods:

• Serum ANXA3 concentrations were measured using ELISA in 90 MDD patients and 90 healthy controls.
• Depression severity was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
• Correlations between ANXA3 levels and various clinical and laboratory parameters were analyzed.

Main Results:

• MDD patients exhibited significantly lower serum ANXA3 levels compared to controls (p < 0.001).
• Serum ANXA3 levels negatively correlated with neutrophil count, platelet count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), glucose, creatinine, and ALT.
• Low ANXA3 levels, high NLR, and glucose dysregulation were predictors of greater depression severity.
• ROC analysis indicated ANXA3 has high discriminatory power for moderate to severe MDD (AUC > 0.90).

Conclusions:

• Serum ANXA3 levels are significantly reduced in MDD patients.
• ANXA3 may serve as a potential biomarker for depression severity.
• Further research is required to determine the clinical utility and the nature (state vs. trait) of ANXA3 alterations in depression.