Cited by 41Treatment of Major DepressionStress Responses and CortisolTryptophan and brain disorders

Sustained Molecular Pathology Across Episodes and Remission in Major Depressive Disorder

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Scifo, Enzo, Pabba, Mohan, Kapadia, Fenika, Ma, Tianzhou, Lewis, David A., Tseng, George C., Sibille, Etienne·2018·Biological Psychiatry

Abstract

Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating mental illness and a major cause of lost productivity worldwide. MDD patients often suffer from lifelong recurring episodes of increasing severity, reduced therapeutic response, and shorter remission periods, suggesting the presence of a persistent and potentially progressive pathology.Methods Subgenual anterior cingulate cortex postmortem samples from four MDD cohorts (single episode, n = 20; single episode in remission, n = 15; recurrent episode, n = 20; and recurrent episode in remission, n = 15), and one control cohort (n = 20) were analyzed by mass spectrometry-based proteomics (n = 3630 proteins) combined with statistical analyses. The data was investigated for trait and state progressive neuropathologies in MDD using both unbiased approaches and tests of a priori hypotheses.Results The data provided weak evidence for proteomic differences as a function of state (depressed/remitted) or number of previous episodes. Instead it suggested the presence of persistent MDD effects, regardless of episodes or remitted state, namely on proteomic measures related to presynaptic neurotransmission, synaptic function, cytoskeletal rearrangements, energy metabolism, phospholipid biosynthesis/metabolism, and calcium ion homeostasis. Selected proteins (dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 1, synaptosomal-associated protein 29, glutamate decarboxylase 1, metabotropic glutamate receptor 1, and excitatory amino acid transporter 3) were validated by Western blot analysis. The findings were independent of technical, demographic (sex or age), or other clinical parameters (death by suicide and drug treatment).Conclusions Collectively, the results provide evidence for persistent MDD effects across current episodes or remission, in the absence of detectable progressive neuropathology.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.08.008

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  • It shows imbalance in cortical-subcortical limbic regions with decreased GABAergic signaling and increased glutamatergic signaling.

    “It shows the imbalance in cortical-subcortical limbic regions with decreased GABAergic signaling and increased glutamatergic signaling. 210 , 211”

    From Major depressive disorder: hypothesis, mechanism, prevention and treatment (2024) · cites this paper as [211]

    The Introduction (page not specified) describes reduced inhibitory GABA levels and an altered excitation–inhibition balance in MDD. The Discussion (page not specified) reports downregulated GABA- and glutamate-related proteins, but does not establish increased glutamatergic signaling or demonstrate that imbalance across cortical–subcortical limbic regions. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • Scifo and colleagues did not observe differences in protein expression within the MDD groups, suggesting that synapse-related changes may persist in stress-related disorders.

    “they did not observe differences in protein expression within the MDD groups, suggesting that synapse-related changes may persist in stress-related disorders”
  • Scifo and colleagues found robust changes in proteins that regulate synaptic plasticity and transmission in individuals with MDD (current or remitted at time of death) relative to controls.

    “Scifo and colleagues examined cellular pathology in individuals with MDD (current or remitted at time of death) relative to controls, and found robust changes in proteins that regulate synaptic plasticity and transmission”
  • D2HGDH encodes for the enzyme D-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase, and is suggested to be downregulated in depressed patients during remission.

    “D2HGDH encodes for the enzyme D-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase, and is suggested to be downregulated in depressed patients during remission54.”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [45]Wesseling H Gottschalk MG Bahn S Targeted multiplexed selected reaction monitoring analysis evaluates protein expression changes of molecular risk factors for major psychiatric disorders The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology/official scientific journal of the Collegium Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum 2015 18 1 PMC4368865 25539505

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Authors
Scifo, E., Pabba, M., Kapadia, F., Ma, T., Lewis, D. A., Tseng, G. C., & Sibille, E.
Affiliations
  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
  • University of Pittsburgh (US)
Corresponding author
Sibille, Etienne
Venue
Biological Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2018-01
Volume
83
Issue
1
Pages
81-89
ISSN
0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2766558591
Cited by
41
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 1
FWCI
3.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH077159)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
Keywords
major depressive disorder, subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, remission, recurrent depression, presynaptic neurotransmission, synaptic function, energy metabolism, phospholipid metabolism, calcium homeostasis, metabotropic glutamate receptor 1, GAD1
MeSH terms
Adult, Chromatography, Liquid, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Gyrus Cinguli, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Mass Spectrometry, Blotting, Western, Cohort Studies, Disease Progression, Proteome, Proteomics

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