학술논문
Higher immune-related gene expression in major depression is independent of CRP levels: results from the BIODEP study
Document Type
article
Author
Luca Sforzini; Annamaria Cattaneo; Clarissa Ferrari; Lorinda Turner; Nicole Mariani; Daniela Enache; Caitlin Hastings; Giulia Lombardo; Maria A. Nettis; Naghmeh Nikkheslat; Courtney Worrell; Zuzanna Zajkowska; Melisa Kose; Nadia Cattane; Nicola Lopizzo; Monica Mazzelli; Linda Pointon; Philip J. Cowen; Jonathan Cavanagh; Neil A. Harrison; Declan Jones; Wayne C. Drevets; Valeria Mondelli; Edward T. Bullmore; Neuroimmunology of Mood Disorders and Alzheimer’s Disease (NIMA) Consortium; Carmine M. Pariante
Source
Translational Psychiatry, Vol 13, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2023)
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
2158-3188
Abstract
Abstract Compelling evidence demonstrates that some individuals suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibit increased levels of inflammation. Most studies focus on inflammation-related proteins, such as serum or plasma C-reactive protein (CRP). However, the immune-related modifications associated with MDD may be not entirely captured by CRP alone. Analysing mRNA gene expression levels, we aimed to identify broader molecular immune-related phenotypes of MDD. We examined 168 individuals from the non-interventional, case–control, BIODEP study, 128 with a diagnosis of MDD and 40 healthy controls. Individuals with MDD were further divided according to serum high-sensitivity (hs)CRP levels (n = 59 with CRP 3 mg/L). We isolated RNA from whole blood and performed gene expression analyses using RT-qPCR. We measured the expression of 16 immune-related candidate genes: A2M, AQP4, CCL2, CXCL12, CRP, FKBP5, IL-1-beta, IL-6, ISG15, MIF, GR, P2RX7, SGK1, STAT1, TNF-alpha and USP18. Nine of the 16 candidate genes were differentially expressed in MDD cases vs. controls, with no differences between CRP-based groups. Only CRP mRNA was clearly associated with serum CRP. In contrast, plasma (proteins) IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12/IL-23p40, IL-16, IL-17A, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, and neutrophils counts, were all differentially regulated between CRP-based groups (higher in CRP >3 vs. CRP