Evaluation of Serum Lysophosphatidic Acid and Lysophosphatidylcholine Levels in Major Depressive Disorder Patients.

Sumaia Riya,Md Ahsanul Haque,Sohel Daria,Maliha A Proma,Md Rabiul Islam,Sharmin Sultana,Mohiuddin Ahmed Bhuiyan

doi:10.7759/cureus.12388

Abstract

BackgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is a heterogeneous condition featured with a continuous low mood, feeling of sadness, lack of interest to perform daily activities. Genetic, physiological, biological, social, and environmental factors are associated with the pathophysiology of depression. Though several human studies failed to identify the suitable biological markers for depression, some animal studies showed phospholipids play a vital role in the alteration of emotion. Thus, the current study aimed to measure the serum levels of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) in MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs) to explore their roles and relationship with depression.MethodsThis case-control study enrolled 53 MDD patients and 50 HCs matched by age, gender, and body mass index. Based on the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edition, a qualified psychiatrist diagnosed patients and assessed HCs. We applied the Hamilton depression rating scale (Ham-D) to measure the severity of depression. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits to measure serum lysophosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidylcholine levels.ResultsWe found no alterations of these parameters in serum levels of MDD patients compared to HCs. We also observed a significant positive correlation between LPA and LPC levels in MDD patients. Moreover, the present study showed no significant associations between target markers and either diagnosis of depression or Ham-D scores, or management of depression.ConclusionThe present study suggests that LPA and LPC levels probably would not serve as potential biomarkers of MDD. Thus, we recommend further studies with large and more homogeneous populations to explore the exact relationship between serum lipids and MDD.

Highlights

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex psychiatric condition; it is unlikely to identify a single causal factor for it [1]
We found no alterations of these parameters in serum levels of MDD patients compared to healthy controls (HCs)
Despite the logic of our proposition, we observed that no significant alterations of serum lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and LPC levels were happened in MDD patients compared to HCs, and that is why these phospholipids are unlikely to serve as early risk assessment markers of MDD

Summary

Introduction

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex psychiatric condition; it is unlikely to identify a single causal factor for it [1]. Brain tissue and neural membrane contain a relatively high amount of glycerophospholipids [11] These glycerophospholipids act as signaling molecules and are responsible for the formation of cell membranes [12]. The second important pathway is to obtain LPA from membrane phospholipids with the help of phospholipase enzymes [15]. Though several human studies failed to identify the suitable biological markers for depression, some animal studies showed phospholipids play a vital role in the alteration of emotion. The current study aimed to measure the serum levels of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) in MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs) to explore their roles and relationship with depression

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion