The DOI matches its Crossref record; 53 of the 53 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The plasma levels of various cytokines are increased during ongoing depression and are reduced to normal levels after recovery
Abstract
Background Cytokines are implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the pattern of alterations in cytokine levels is still unclear. The current study investigated the plasma levels of a range of cytokines in a follow-up design, with the aim of determining their involvement in depression.Methods Fifty medication-free MDD patients with a depressive episode and 34 healthy controls were included at baseline; the patients were followed up after 12 weeks. Before initiating treatment, the patients were diagnosed and assessed for depressive symptoms and blood for cytokine analysis was obtained. The same clinical assessments and cytokine measurements were performed after 12 weeks of "treatment as usual."Results The cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and interferon gamma (IFNγ) were significantly elevated (p=0.01-0.047) in depressed patients at baseline compared to healthy controls. After 12 weeks of treatment, the plasma levels of seven of these nine cytokines (IL-1Ra, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, G-CSF, and IFNγ had decreased significantly compared to baseline and did not differ from those in the healthy controls. The depressive symptoms were simultaneously significantly reduced. In addition, the reduction to normal cytokines levels occurred only in those who met the recovery criteria.Conclusion A more general pattern of elevated cytokine levels is described herein relative to what has been described previously shown in MDD. Furthermore, recovery from depression was associated with reduction to normal levels of the majority of the measured cytokines. These results strongly support the notion that a complex network of cytokines is involved in the pathophysiology of MDD.
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“High levels of inflammation are associated with many mental health conditions including depression [29–30].”
From Singing modulates mood, stress, cortisol, cytokine and neuropeptide activity in cancer patients and carers (2016) · cites this paper as [29]
In the citing paper
“Following research showing that both acute and chronic stress and depression are associated with increases in stress hormones and inflammatory immune response [29–30]”
From Singing modulates mood, stress, cortisol, cytokine and neuropeptide activity in cancer patients and carers (2016) · cites this paper as [29]
In the citing paper
“Increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFNγ) have been consistently reported in the blood of depressed patients [138,139,140]”
From P2X7 Receptor Signaling in Stress and Depression (2019) · cites this paper as [140]
In the citing paper
“Moreover, antidepressant treatment seem to attenuate this immunological response [140,143].”
From P2X7 Receptor Signaling in Stress and Depression (2019) · cites this paper as [140]
In the citing paper
“Interestingly, treatment with antidepressants can result in an antiinflammatory response throughout the brain, mitigating the inflammatory unbalance to homeostatic levels and normalizing BDNF concentrations [83, 84].”
From Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Brain Disorders: Focus on Neuroinflammation (2019) · cites this paper as [83]
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Interleukin-6, a Major Cytokine in the Central Nervous System
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Haapakoski, R., Mathieu, J., Ebmeier, K. P., Alenius, H., & Kivimäki, M. (2015) · Brain, Behavior, and Immunity · doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2015.06.001 · Cited by 1,129
“Frodl T, Carballedo A, Hughes MM, Saleh K, Fagan A, Skokauskas N, McLoughlin DM, Meaney J, O'Keane V, Connor TJ. Reduced expression of glucocorticoid-inducible genes GILZ and SGK-1: high IL-6 levels are associated with reduced hippocampal volumes in major depressive disorder.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialHandbook of Religion and Health
Koenig, H. G., VanderWeele, T. J., & Peteet, J. R. (2023) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190088859.001.0001 · Cited by 1,160
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Brain Disorders: Focus on Neuroinflammation
Lima Giacobbo, B., Doorduin, J., Klein, H. C., Dierckx, R. A. J. O., Bromberg, E., & de Vries, E. F. J. (2019) · Molecular Neurobiology · doi:10.1007/s12035-018-1283-6 · Cited by 750
The Role of Inflammation in Depression and Fatigue
Lee, C.-H., & Giuliani, F. (2019) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2019.01696 · Cited by 662
“Other recent studies have also looked at exercise, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and standard of care treatment and shown that the levels of a variety of circulating cytokines generally decrease following treatment, although there is no agreement on the correlation with improvement of depressive symp…”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Dahl, J., Ormstad, H., Aass, H. C. D., Malt, U. F., Bendz, L. T., Sandvik, L., Brundin, L., & Andreassen, O. A.
- Affiliations
- Vestre Viken Hospital Trust (NO)
- Buskerud University College (NO)
- Oslo University Hospital (NO)
- Van Andel Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Dahl, Johan
- ORCID
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-07
- Volume
- 45
- Pages
- 77-86
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2134586420
- Cited by
- 424
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 75 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 50 · 2020: 36 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 7
- FWCI
- 9.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Helse Sør-Øst RHF
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology (medical) › Treatment of Major Depression
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- major depressive disorder, cytokines, plasma cytokines, interleukin-6, IL-10, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, interferon-gamma, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, recovery from depression, usual care
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Antidepressive Agents, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Severity of Illness Index, Up-Regulation, Case-Control Studies, Cytokines, Treatment Outcome, Inflammation Mediators, Recovery of Function
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