Pichit Buspavanich1, Mazda Adli2, Hubertus Himmerich3, Maximilian Berger1, Marlene Busche4, Peter Schlattmann5, Sandra Bopp4, Tom Bschor6, Christoph Richter7, Bruno Steinacher8, Christian Stoppel9, Claudia Hindinger10, Saskia Meyer4, Kai Hoffmann4, Thomas Stamm1, Alexander Gabriel10, Angela Merkl2, Franziska Goerke-Arndt11, Stephan Köhler4, Phillip Sterzer4, Andreas Heinz4, Joachim Behr12, Hajar Fakhri13, Florian Lang13, Undine E Lang14, Roland Ricken15. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité -Universitätmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany. 2. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité -Universitätmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Fliedner Klinik Berlin, Berlin, Germany. 3. Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 4. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité -Universitätmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany. 5. Department of Statistics, Informatics and Data Science, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany. 6. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Dresden Medical School, Dresden, Germany. 7. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité -Universitätmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Vivantes Klinikum Kaulsdorf, Berlin, Germany. 8. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Vivantes Wenckebach-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Vivantes Auguste-Viktoria-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany. 9. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Vivantes Auguste-Viktoria-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany. 10. Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany. 11. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Oberhavel-Kliniken, Henningsdorf, Germany. 12. Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany; Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Joint Faculty of the University of Potsdam, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg and Brandenburg Medical School, Potsdam, Germany; Research Department of Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Germany. 13. Department of Physiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. 14. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Psychiatric Clinics, Basel, Switzerland. 15. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité -Universitätmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: roland.ricken@charite.de.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Cytokines might play a key role in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). The speed of onset of depressive episodes has been discussed as an important clinical parameter in MDD. The aim of this study was to investigate a potential influence of the speed of onset of the depressive episode on cytokine serum levels. METHOD: Serum level of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) granulocyte and monocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were measured in a total of 92 patients with MDD that did not respond to at least one previous antidepressant treatment. Patients were retrospectively divided in two groups: Faster (≤4 weeks) and slower (>4 weeks) onset of the depressive episode defined as the time passing from the first depressive symptoms to a full-blown depressive episode by using information from a clinical interview. RESULTS: We found significantly lower serum levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ in patients with a faster onset compared to patients with a slower onset of the depressive episodes. Furthermore, lower cytokine serum levels of IL-2, IL-8, IL-10 and IFN-γ were found in patients with a shorter duration (less than 6 months) compared to a longer duration (6-24 months) of the current depressive episode. This effect on cytokines was independent from the effect of the speed of onset of the depressive episode. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with faster onset of the depressive episode might represent a biological subtype of MDD with lower serum levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ.
INTRODUCTION: Cytokines might play a key role in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). The speed of onset of depressive episodes has been discussed as an important clinical parameter in MDD. The aim of this study was to investigate a potential influence of the speed of onset of the depressive episode on cytokine serum levels. METHOD: Serum level of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) granulocyte and monocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were measured in a total of 92 patients with MDD that did not respond to at least one previous antidepressant treatment. Patients were retrospectively divided in two groups: Faster (≤4 weeks) and slower (>4 weeks) onset of the depressive episode defined as the time passing from the first depressive symptoms to a full-blown depressive episode by using information from a clinical interview. RESULTS: We found significantly lower serum levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ in patients with a faster onset compared to patients with a slower onset of the depressive episodes. Furthermore, lower cytokine serum levels of IL-2, IL-8, IL-10 and IFN-γ were found in patients with a shorter duration (less than 6 months) compared to a longer duration (6-24 months) of the current depressive episode. This effect on cytokines was independent from the effect of the speed of onset of the depressive episode. CONCLUSIONS:Patients with faster onset of the depressive episode might represent a biological subtype of MDD with lower serum levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ.