Circulating alpha-2-macroglobulin levels and depression scores in patients who underwent abdominal cancer surgery

Abstract

Background Although depression is a predominant health care problem, it is difficult to diagnose in patients who underwent abdominal cancer surgery. Relevance of elevated levels of serum of alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) to psychological depression has been recently suggested. Patients and methods Serum A2M levels were measured and depression scores were determined by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale before and 1 year after abdominal cancer surgery in 45 patients. Results Serum levels of A2M and depression scores were significantly ( P = 0.0006, P = 0.0045, respectively) increased after total gastrectomy compared with preoperative values, whereas there was no interval change in both measurements of patients having colorectal resection. Of the patients who had undergone distal or total gastrectomy for gastric cancer, serum A2M concentrations in a depressed group were significantly higher ( P = 0.028) than those in non-depressed group. Conclusions Patients with total gastrectomy are predisposed to depression, and circulating A2M elevation may be implicated in the development of postoperative depression in these patients.