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Cytokine production and serum proteins in depression
A Seidel1, V Arolt, M Hunstiger
1Institute of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Lübeck School of Medicine, Germany.
Insights
Depression is linked to altered immune responses. This study found elevated cytokines and proteins in patients initially, followed by suppressed cell-mediated immunity over six weeks, suggesting a complex immune dysregulation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Psychiatry
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Depression is associated with immune system alterations.
- Investigating cytokine production by leucocytes offers a standardized method to assess immune response in depression.
- Leucocyte function assessment can provide insights into immune dysregulation during and after the acute clinical stage of depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess leucocyte function in patients with depression.
- To measure cytokine production and serum protein levels during and after the acute clinical stage of depression.
- To investigate changes in immune activity over a 6-week period.
Main Methods:
- Measured mitogen-induced cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, interferon-gamma) and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) using a whole blood assay.
- Assessed serum protein levels: C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin (Hp), and alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2 M).
- Conducted a longitudinal 6-week study in 39 patients with depression.
Main Results:
- Patients exhibited higher levels of all measured cytokines upon hospital admission.
- Serum protein levels were significantly elevated in patients compared to controls and decreased over the study.
- Monokine levels tended towards control values, while lymphokine levels significantly decreased over 6 weeks.
Conclusions:
- Acute depression is characterized by increased immune activity, including elevated cytokines.
- A decrease in lymphokine levels suggests a potential suppression of cell-mediated immune function following the acute phase.
- These findings indicate a dynamic and complex interplay between depression and immune system regulation.
Abstract:
One, as yet unemployed, approach to investigating immunology in depression is the assessment of the cytokine production by leucocytes, which would allow the determination of immune response under standardized conditions. Thus we measured the production of mitogen-induced cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, interferon-gamma) and sIL-2R in a whole blood assay, and serum protein levels such as C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin (Hp) and alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2 M) in a longitudinal 6-week study in an attempt to assess leucocyte function during and after acute clinical stage of depression in 39 patients. Shortly after admission to hospital we found higher levels of all measured cytokines in the patients. Serum protein levels were significantly higher in the patients than in controls, and decreased over the study period. Whereas slightly elevated monokine levels in patients tended to reach control values, lymphokines showed a significant decrease over the 6 weeks as compared to baseline. These results suggest that the increase in immune activity seen at the beginning of the study may be followed by a suppressed cell-mediated immune function.