Elevated IL-17 and TGF-β Serum Levels: A Positive Correlation between T-helper 17 Cell-Related Pro-Inflammatory Responses with Major Depressive Disorder
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INTRODUCTION: Depression is a mental disorder that highly associated with immune system. Therefore, this study compares the serum concentrations of IL-21, IL-17, and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) between patients with major depressive disorder and healthy controls. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 41 patients with major depressive disorder and 40 healthy age-matched controls with no history of malignancies or autoimmune disorders. The subjects were interviewed face to face according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Depression score was measured using completed Beck Depression Inventory in both groups. The serum concentrations of IL-21, IL-17, and TGF-β were assessed using ELISA. RESULTS: The mean score of Beck Depression score in the patient and control groups was 35.4±5.5 and 11.1±2.3. IL-17 serum concentrations in the patients and the control group were 10.03±0.6 and 7.6±0.6 pg/mL, respectively (P=0.0002). TGF-β level in the patients group was significantly higher than compare to the control group; 336.7±20.19 vs. 174.8±27.20 pg/mL, (P<0.0001). However, the level of IL-21 was not statistically different between the two groups 84.30±4.57 vs. 84.12±4.15 pg/mL (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Considering pro-inflammatory cytokines, current results support the association of inflammatory response and depressive disorder. So, it seems that pro-inflammatory factors profile can be used as indicator in following of depression progress and its treatment impacts.
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IL-17A is elevated in some but not all depressed patients.
“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 Davami et al., 2016
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- Authors
- Davami, M., Baharlou, R., Ahmadi Vasmehjani, A., Ghanizadeh, A., Keshtkar, M., Dezhkam, I., & Atashzar, M.
- Affiliations
- Jahrom University (IR)
- Shiraz University (IR)
- Corresponding author
- Baharlou, R.
- Venue
- Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal
- Published
- 2016
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 137-42
- ISSN
- 2008-126X (ISSN-L)
- 2228-7442
- PMC
- PMC4892318
- OpenAlex
- W2369811890
- Cited by
- 124
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 3.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- major depressive disorder, IL-17, TGF-beta, IL-21, inflammatory cytokines, serum cytokine levels, inflammation and depression, Th17 cells, depression biomarkers
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