Some inflammation factors and immunophenotypes of depression in elderly patients

Abstract

To search for the immunological features of depressions in elderly patients, select certain immunophenotypes and analyze their possible connection with clinical and psychopathological features of depression of old age. The study included 55 inpatients of old age (median 68 years) with a depressive episode of mild or moderate severity. The control group consisted of 41 elderly people (median 67 years) without depressive disorders. Clinical, psychometric, immunological and statistical methods were used. The rating scales were HAMD-17 and MMSE. The activity of inflammatory and autoimmune markers, including enzymatic activity of leukocyte elastase (LE), α1-proteinase inhibitor (α1-PI), level of autoantibodies to neurospecific antigens S-100B and myelin basic protein, in the serum of patients and control subjects was determined. The scatter in the immunological parameters both in the direction of exceeding the average values and their decrease was shown in the group of depressed elderly patients compared to the controls. Cluster analysis revealed two immunophenotypes of elderly patients with depression. Immunophenotype A is a group of patients with increased PE activity and immunophenotype B is a group of patients with decreased LE activity (p<0.0000). Immunophenotype A includes patients with complex depressions, comorbid with anxiety and senesto-hypochondriac disorders. In immunophenotype B, patients with prolonged apatic/adynamic depressions (p<0.05), with an earlier onset and longer duration of the disease, with incomplete remissions and more burdened with cardiovascular diseases were more common (p<0.05).