Suhaer Zeki Al-Fadhel1, Hussein Kadhem Al-Hakeim2, Arafat Hussein Al-Dujaili3, Michael Maes4. 1. Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Kufa University, Najaf, Iraq. Electronic address: suhaeralfadel@yahoo.com. 2. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Kufa, Iraq. Electronic address: headm2010@yahoo.com. 3. Faculty of Medicine, Kufa University, Iraq. Electronic address: arafat.aldujaili@uokufa.edu.iq. 4. Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand; Impact Strategic Research Center, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia. Electronic address: dr.michaelmaes@hotmail.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Activation of the immune-inflammatory response system (IRS) and the compensatory immune-regulatory system (CIRS) and aberrations in endogenous opioids play a role in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). There are no studies which examined the associations between both systems in MDD. The aim of the present study was to examine the relation between β-Endorphin (β-EP), Endomorphin-2, and their mu-opioid receptor (MOR) as well as interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, in MDD patients. METHOD: The study included 60 depressed drug-free male patients and 30 matched controls. Serum β-EP, Endomorphin-2, MOR, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were measured using ELISA techniques. RESULTS: The results revealed a significant increase in serum β-EP, MOR, IL-6 and IL-10 in MDD patients versus healthy controls. MOR levels were strongly associated with IL-10 levels. There were no significant correlations between endogenous opioids and IL-6 and IL-10. CONCLUSION: The results show that MOR levels may function as a possible component of the CIRS whilst there is no evidence that β-EP and EM-2 may modify the IRS. The significant correlation between MOR levels and IL-10 may be explained through central activation of the HPA-axis and increased B-cell numbers expressing MOR as a response to cytokine over-secretion in MDD.
OBJECTIVE: Activation of the immune-inflammatory response system (IRS) and the compensatory immune-regulatory system (CIRS) and aberrations in endogenous opioids play a role in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). There are no studies which examined the associations between both systems in MDD. The aim of the present study was to examine the relation between β-Endorphin (β-EP), Endomorphin-2, and their mu-opioid receptor (MOR) as well as interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, in MDDpatients. METHOD: The study included 60 depressed drug-free male patients and 30 matched controls. Serum β-EP, Endomorphin-2, MOR, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were measured using ELISA techniques. RESULTS: The results revealed a significant increase in serum β-EP, MOR, IL-6 and IL-10 in MDDpatients versus healthy controls. MOR levels were strongly associated with IL-10 levels. There were no significant correlations between endogenous opioids and IL-6 and IL-10. CONCLUSION: The results show that MOR levels may function as a possible component of the CIRS whilst there is no evidence that β-EP and EM-2 may modify the IRS. The significant correlation between MOR levels and IL-10 may be explained through central activation of the HPA-axis and increased B-cell numbers expressing MOR as a response to cytokine over-secretion in MDD.
Authors: Ángela Velasco; Julia Rodríguez-Revuelta; Emilie Olié; Iciar Abad; Abel Fernández-Peláez; Aurélie Cazals; Sébastien Guillaume; Lorena de la Fuente-Tomás; Luis Jiménez-Treviño; Laura Gutiérrez; Paz García-Portilla; Julio Bobes; Philippe Courtet; Pilar A Sáiz Journal: Eur Psychiatry Date: 2020-02-17 Impact factor: 5.361
Authors: Hasan Najah Smesam; Hasan Abbas Qazmooz; Sinan Qayes Khayoon; Abbas F Almulla; Hussein Kadhem Al-Hakeim; Michael Maes Journal: J Pers Med Date: 2022-03-16