Social support as a buffer in the relationship between treatment for depression and T-cell production of interferon gamma in patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the buffering effects of social support on the relationship between depression and autoaggressive immune function in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: Fourteen participants with comorbid diagnoses of MS and major depressive disorder received 16 weeks of psychotherapy or antidepressant medications. Depression and T-cell production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), a lynchpin in MS pathogenesis, were assessed at baseline and posttreatment. Social support was assessed at baseline.

Results: Both depression and T-cell production of IFN-gamma were significantly reduced over the 16 weeks of treatment. There was a significant interaction between change in depression, change in IFN-gamma, and social support (R(2)=.26, P=.03) such that social support served as a buffer.

Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis that social support buffers the effects of change in depression on IFN-gamma production. However, these findings should be viewed as preliminary due to the small sample size and the absence of a control condition.