Abstract
ObjectivesCytokine activation and low complement levels are common in depression patients. This study is aimed at investigating the clinical significance of changes in serum concentrations of melatonin (MT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), homocysteine (hcy), and complement C3 and C4 in depression patients and relationships of them with depression activity.MethodsA total of 95 depression patients, including first-episode group (n = 43) and recurrent group (n = 52), and 45 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Serum levels of MT, IL-6, hcy, C3, and C4 in all samples were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), chemiluminescence method, enzyme circulation method, and immuno-scatter turbidimetric assay, respectively.ResultsThe serum MT, IL-6, and hcy levels in the first-episode group (113.08 ± 5.06 pg/ml, 2.06 ± 0.12 ng/L, and 13.87 ± 0.45 μmol/L), and recurrent group (117.63 ± 4.63 pg/ml, 2.20 ± 0.12 ng/L, and 13.61 ± 0.46 μmol/L) were significantly higher than those in the control group (89.50 ± 5.10 pg/ml, 1.57 ± 0.06 ng/L, and 11.34 ± 0.40 μmol/L). The serum levels of C3 in the first-episode group (0.95 ± 0.02 ng/L) were significantly lower than those in the recurrent group (1.05 ± 0.03 ng/L) and control group (1.12 ± 0.03 ng/L). There was no significant difference in serum C4 level between each group.ConclusionThese results suggest that higher serum MT, IL-6, and hcy levels were correlated with pathogenesis of depression.
Highlights
Depression, known as depressive disorder, is a kind of mental and psychological disease characterized by listless, depression, and inferiority
This study is aimed at investigating the clinical significance of changes in serum concentrations of melatonin (MT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), homocysteine, and complement C3 and C4 in depression patients and relationships of them with depression activity
There was no significant difference in serum C4 level between each group. These results suggest that higher serum MT, IL-6, and hcy levels were correlated with pathogenesis of depression
Summary
Depression, known as depressive disorder, is a kind of mental and psychological disease characterized by listless, depression, and inferiority. Melatonin (MT) is an amine hormone that is secreted from human pineal gland and released into blood. It can modulate the phase of circadian rhythms by binding to MT receptor in hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus. MT can suppress the release of glutamate and decrease the inhibitory activity of glutamate on brainderived neurotrophic factor to lower damage in the neurons of hippocampus, improving cognitive function of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients (Treadway et al, 2015). A combination of anti-depressant drug buspirone with MT could improve the cognitive function of the major depression disorder patient when compared with the buspirone-alone group and the placebo group (Targum et al, 2015), suggesting the importance of MT in pathogenesis of depression
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