Source: Chest  |  Posted 10 years ago

Cytokine involvement in major and post-viral depression has now been confirmed.

It is recognized that interleukin-1[b] can induce the symptoms of depression and sickness behaviour and may have a contributory role in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity seen in mood disorders.

Researchers from the Stanley Foundation Research Centre at the University of Newcastle Medical School, Newcaste, England, designed a study to investigate the possible role of interleukin-1[b] in both major and post-viral depression.

Interleukin-1[b] (IL-1[b]) is released a part of the acute phase immune response. It is able to directly stimulate corticotrophin-releasing hormone and can induce hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity. The acute phase immunologic response, which includes raised IL-1[b] production and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity has been shown to accompany major depression.

Participants include four groups, comprising 117 patients with post-viral depression, 20 patients suffering with major depression, 12 who were post-viral and euthymic and 20 who acted as normal controls.

By comparison with controls, the patients in both groups of depression had significantly elevated IL-1[b]. The post-viral group was shown to have higher serum concentrations of IL-1[b] than that seen in the major depression patients, although the difference was not considered significant.