Serum chemokine levels in major depressive disorder

Lehto, Soili M.; Niskanen, Leo; Herzig, Karl-Heinz; Tolmunen, Tommi; Huotari, Anne; Viinamäki, Heimo; Koivumaa-Honkanen, Heli; Honkalampi, Kirsi; Ruotsalainen, Heli; Hintikka, Jukka

doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.06.007

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Volume 35, Issue 2 , Pages 226-232, February 2010

Serum chemokine levels in major depressive disorder

Soili M. Lehto
- Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Kuopio, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
- Kuopio Psychiatric Center, P.O. Box 1777, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
- Corresponding author at: Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Kuopio, 70210 Kuopio, Finland. Tel.: +358 40 8277 973; fax: +358 17 17 2966.
Leo Niskanen
- Department of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Kuopio, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
Karl-Heinz Herzig
- Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Kuopio, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
- Institute of Biomedicine, Division of Physiology and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
Tommi Tolmunen
- Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Kuopio, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
Anne Huotari
- Institute of Biomedicine, Division of Physiology and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
Heimo Viinamäki
- Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Kuopio, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
Heli Koivumaa-Honkanen
- Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Kuopio, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Lapland Hospital District, 97140 Rovaniemi, Finland
Kirsi Honkalampi
- Kuopio Psychiatric Center, P.O. Box 1777, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
Heli Ruotsalainen
- Institute of Biomedicine, Division of Physiology and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
Jukka Hintikka
- Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Kuopio, 70210 Kuopio, Finland

Received 17 February 2009; received in revised form 13 June 2009; accepted 15 June 2009.

Summary

Objective

To examine the role of chemokines of two major chemokine families, CC and CXC, in major depressive disorder (MDD) in a population-based sample.

Method

The serum levels of CC chemokines MCP-1 and MIP-1β, and CXC chemokine IL-8 were measured from 122 participants (MDD group, n=61; controls, n=61). Depression severity was assessed with the 29-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.

Results

The MDD group had lower levels of MCP-1, MIP-1β and IL-8 than the healthy controls. The likelihood of major depressive disorder for participants with chemokine levels below the median (MCP-1: <26.26pg/mL; MIP-1β: <42.57pg/mL; IL-8: <2.86pg/mL) was 3.6 (p=0.002) for MIP-1β and 2.4 (p=0.037) for IL-8 in regression models adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol consumption. MCP-1 did not associate with the presence of MDD after adjustments for potential confounders. Further adjustments for somatic illnesses or medications did not affect these findings.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that depression-related alterations of inflammatory markers may be more complex than previously assumed, and that at least some of the chemokines may be down-regulated.

Keywords: Chemokines, IL-8, Inflammation, Major depressive disorder, MCP-1, MIP-1β