Low serum IL-10 concentrations and loss of regulatory association between IL-6 and IL-10 in adults with major depression

Dhabhar, Firdaus S.; Burke, Heather M.; Epel, Elissa S.; Mellon, Synthia H.; Rosser, Rebecca; Reus, Victor I.; Wolkowitz, Owen M.

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2009.05.010

Cited by 225Tryptophan and brain disordersStress Responses and CortisolTreatment of Major Depression

Low serum IL-10 concentrations and loss of regulatory association between IL-6 and IL-10 in adults with major depression

Dhabhar, Firdaus S., Burke, Heather M., Epel, Elissa S., Mellon, Synthia H., Rosser, Rebecca, Reus, Victor I., Wolkowitz, Owen M.·2009·Journal of Psychiatric Research

DOI 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2009.05.010

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Abstract

Elevated circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines are associated with symptoms of depression, and disorders involving chronic inflammation are often co-morbid with major depression. Since healthy immune regulation is accomplished through counter-balancing effects of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, we hypothesized that depressed subjects (compared to controls) would express lower concentrations of the anti-inflammatory/immunoregulatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10, and a higher IL-6/IL-10 ratio. We also examined the possibility that depressed subjects may exhibit a deficiency in the regulatory loop involving IL-6 induced secretion of IL-10. Therefore, we hypothesized that circulating IL-6 and IL-10 would be positively correlated in controls, while the correlation would be weaker in depressed subjects. Resting state serum cytokine concentrations were quantified in 12 unmedicated depressed subjects, and 11 age, gender, and ethnicity-matched controls. Depressed subjects showed significantly lower IL-10 (p=0.03, Cohen's d=-0.96), non-significantly higher IL-6, and significantly higher IL-6/IL-10 ratios (p=0.05, Cohen's d=0.50). Across all participants, higher scores on the self-rated Inventory of Depressive Symptoms were associated with lower IL-10 (r(21)=-0.57, p=0.005) and non-significantly higher IL-6/IL-10 ratios (r(21)=0.38, p=0.07), but not related to IL-6 concentrations. As hypothesized, IL-6 and IL-10 concentrations were strongly and positively correlated in controls (…

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Concentrations of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 are lower for depressed than for nondepressed individuals.
“at least one study found that concentrations of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 are lower for depressed than for nondepressed individuals”
From From stress to inflammation and major depressive disorder: A social signal transduction theory of depression. (2014) · cites this paper as Dhabhar et al., 2009

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Authors: Dhabhar, F. S., Burke, H. M., Epel, E. S., Mellon, S. H., Rosser, R., Reus, V. I., & Wolkowitz, O. M.
Affiliations: Stanford Medicine (US)
University of California, San Francisco (US)
Corresponding author: Dhabhar, Firdaus S.
ORCID: Dhabhar, Firdaus S.
Epel, Elissa S.
Mellon, Synthia H.
Reus, Victor I.
Wolkowitz, Owen M.
Venue: Journal of Psychiatric Research
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2009-07
Volume: 43
Issue: 11
Pages: 962-969
ISSN: 0022-3956 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2009.05.010
OpenAlex: W1993763786
Cited by: 225
References: 11
Citations by year: 2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 9
FWCI: 3.91
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Journal of Psychiatric Research (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: University of California, San Francisco
National Center for Research Resources (UL1RR024131)
Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of California, San Francisco
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
Keywords: major depressive disorder, IL-10, interleukin-6, IL-6/IL-10 ratio, serum cytokines, chronic inflammation, inflammatory cytokines, anti-inflammatory cytokines, immune regulation, depressive symptoms, untreated depression, adults with depression
MeSH terms: Adult, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Interleukin-6, Interleukin-10

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Low serum IL-10 concentrations and loss of regulatory association between IL-6 and IL-10 in adults with major depression

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