The DOI matches its Crossref record; 49 of the 49 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Emerging tendency towards autoimmune process in major depressive patients: A novel insight from Th17 cells
Abstract
Evidence indicates that there is an emerging tendency towards autoimmunity occuring in major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of our study is to investigate the mechanism of autoimmune process in MDD from a novel insight of Th17 cells, which have been identified as the significant activators of autoimmunity. We included 40 patients with MDD and 30 healthy control subjects. An indirect immunofluorescence test was used for the detection of serum antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and revealed that the patient group was positive more frequently than the control group. By flow cytometric analysis, depressed subjects revealed a significant increase in peripheral Th17 cell number, and an obvious decrease in T-reg cell number, showing an imbalance of Th17/Treg ratio compared to healthy controls. We also found a higher level of RORγt (retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-γt, the specific transcription factor of Th17 cell) mRNA expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes by RT-PCR and serum concentration of IL-17 by ELISA in patients. In conclusion, our study showed a potential role of Th17 cells in the autoimmune process in MDD patients, thus contributing to the existing evidence of autoimmune inclination in MDD.
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In the citing paper
“Additionally, Th17 cells have been associated with depression in several experimental and clinical studies [16, 20, 68].”
From Chronic stress-induced depression requires the recruitment of peripheral Th17 cells into the brain (2022) · cites this paper as [68]
In the citing paper
“IL-17A was elevated in some (Chen et al., 2011; Davami et al., 2016), but not all (Kim et al., 2013; Liu et al., 2012), depressed patients”
From Distinct characteristics of hippocampal pathogenic th17 cells in a mouse model of depression (2018) · cites this paper as Chen et al., 2011
In the citing paper
“depressed patients have elevated blood levels of TH17 cells (Chen et al., 2011)”
From Distinct characteristics of hippocampal pathogenic th17 cells in a mouse model of depression (2018) · cites this paper as Chen et al., 2011
Citations
Cites
Bettelli, E., Carrier, Y., Gao, W., Korn, T., Strom, T. B., Oukka, M., Weiner, H. L., & Kuchroo, V. K. (2006) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature04753 · Cited by 6,992
Ivanov, I. I., McKenzie, B. S., Zhou, L., Tadokoro, C. E., Lepelley, A., Lafaille, J. J., Cua, D. J., & Littman, D. R. (2006) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2006.07.035 · Cited by 5,145
Transforming growth factor-β induces development of the TH17 lineage
Mangan, P. R., Harrington, L. E., O'Quinn, D. B., Helms, W. S., Bullard, D. C., Elson, C. O., Hatton, R. D., Wahl, S. M., Schoeb, T. R., & Weaver, C. T. (2006) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature04754 · Cited by 3,087
Interleukin-17 Family Members and Inflammation
Kolls, J. K., & Lindén, A. (2004) · Immunity · doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2004.08.018 · Cited by 2,371
TGF-β-induced Foxp3 inhibits TH17 cell differentiation by antagonizing RORγt function
Zhou, L., Lopes, J. E., Chong, M. M. W., Ivanov, I. I., Min, R., Victora, G. D., Shen, Y., Du, J., Rubtsov, Y. P., Rudensky, A. Y., et al. (2008) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature06878 · Cited by 1,928
Kebir, H., Kreymborg, K., Ifergan, I., Dodelet-Devillers, A., Cayrol, R., Bernard, M., Giuliani, F., Arbour, N., Becher, B., & Prat, A. (2007) · Nature Medicine · doi:10.1038/nm1651 · Cited by 1,759
Lock, C., Hermans, G., Pedotti, R., Brendolan, A., Schadt, E. E., Garren, H., Langer-Gould, A. M., Strober, S., Cannella, B., Allard, J. D., et al. (2002) · Nature Medicine · doi:10.1038/nm0502-500 · Cited by 1,659
IL-17 plays an important role in the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Komiyama, Y., Nakae, S., Matsuki, T., Nambu, A., Ishigame, H., Kakuta, S., Sudo, K., & Iwakura, Y. (2006) · The Journal of Immunology · doi:10.4049/jimmunol.177.1.566 · Cited by 1,536
McGeachy, M. J., Bak-Jensen, K. S., Chen, Y., Tato, C. M., Blumenschein, W., McClanahan, T., & Cua, D. J. (2007) · Nature Immunology · doi:10.1038/ni1539 · Cited by 1,520
Self-citationSteinman, L. (2007) · Nature Medicine · doi:10.1038/nm1551 · Cited by 1,391
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Items 201–209 of 209
Immune System Alterations in Depression across Baseline and Flu Vaccine ChallengePreprint
Arasappan, D., Marron, A., Sanei, S., & Jabbi, M. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.64898/2025.12.02.691874
Additional file 1 of Th17 cells sense microbiome to promote depressive-like behaviors
Medina-Rodriguez, E. M., Watson, J., Reyes, J., Trivedi, M. H., & Beurel, E. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.22715232
Kim, J., Suh, Y.-H., & Chang, K.-A. (2021) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.13572106
Peng, Z., Peng, S., Lin, K., Zhao, B., Wei, L., Tuo, Q., Liao, D., Yuan, T., & Shi, Z. (2022) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.20315881
Li, H., Xie, F., Cui, X., & Shen, G. (2026) · Functional & Integrative Genomics · doi:10.1007/s10142-026-01817-z
Zhang, H., Fu, T.-T., Zhang, W.-T., & Tian, F. (2026) · Journal of Neuroimmunology · doi:10.1016/j.jneuroim.2026.578900
Han, D., & Beurel, E. (2026) · Life Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2026.124672
Zhang, S., Zeng, Z.-L., Lin, X.-E., Ran, J., Wang, Q., Yang, J.-B., Wu, Y., & Lin, N.-X. (2026) · Current Medical Science · doi:10.1007/s11596-026-00226-4
Self-citationShin, S., & Park, C. Y. (2026) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu18213479
Metadata
- Authors
- Chen, Y., Jiang, T., Chen, P., Ouyang, J., Xu, G., Zeng, Z., & Sun, Y.
- Affiliations
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
- Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Jiang, Tang
- Venue
- Psychiatry Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-07
- Volume
- 188
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 224-230
- ISSN
- 0165-1781 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1978702665
- Cited by
- 209
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 1.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychiatry Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology (medical) › Treatment of Major Depression
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- Keywords
- major depressive disorder, Th17 cells, autoimmunity, antinuclear antibodies, regulatory T cells, Th17/Treg ratio, RORγt, IL-17, peripheral blood lymphocytes
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Antibodies, Antinuclear, Major Depressive Disorder, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Flow Cytometry, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, RNA, Messenger, Autoimmunity, Statistics, Nonparametric, Interleukin-17, Young Adult, Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3, Th17 Cells
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