Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Oct 27:13:1048337.
doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1048337. eCollection 2022.

Comparison of serum cytokines levels in normal-weight and overweight patients with first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder

Wenfan Gao  1   2   3   4 , Yayun Xu  5   6   7 , Jun Liang  1   2   3   4 , Yanhong Sun  1   2   3   4 , Yuanyuan Zhang  1   2   3   4 , Feng Shan  1   2   3   4 , Jinfang Ge  6   7   8 , Qingrong Xia  1   2   3   4
Affiliations

Comparison of serum cytokines levels in normal-weight and overweight patients with first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder

Wenfan Gao et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Objective: Abnormal levels of blood cytokines have been demonstrated to be associated with both excess weight and major depressive disorder (MDD). However, few studies have addressed the direct effect of body mass index (BMI) on basal serum cytokines in individuals with first-episode drug-naïve MDD.

Methods: A total of 49 patients with first-episode drug-naïve MDD were categorized into normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m2) and overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m2) groups according to WHO-criteria. The severity of depressive symptoms was assessed using the 24-items Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-24). A total of 37 cytokines were measured using Multiplex Luminex Assays. The scores of HAMD-24 and the levels of serum cytokines between normal weight group and overweight group were compared. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between abnormal serum cytokines levels and group after adjusting for HAMD-24 scores. The correlation between BMI and the scores of HAMD-24 and the levels of serum cytokines was evaluated using Pearson correlation analysis.

Results: The scores of HAMD-24 in overweight group were significantly higher than normal weight group (t = -2.930, P = 0.005). Moreover, the levels of IL-1α, IL-1RA, IL-3, CXCL10, TNF-α, and ICAM-1 in overweight patients with MDD were significantly higher than those in normal-weight patients with MDD (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, after adjustment for HAMD-24 scores, there was a significant correlation between abnormal serum cytokines levels (IL-1α, IL-1RA, IL-3, CXCL10, TNF-α, and ICAM-1) and group (all P < 0.05). Additionally, BMI was positively correlated to the serum levels of IL-1α (r = 0.428, P = 0.002), IL-3 (r = 0.529, P < 0.001), IL-6 (r = 0.285, P = 0.050), IL-10 (r = 0.423, P = 0.003), IL-12 (r = 0.367, P = 0.010), IL-15 (r = 0.300, P = 0.036), CXCL10 (r = 0.316, P = 0.030), TNF-α (r = 0.338, P = 0.021), and ICAM-1 (r = 0.440, P = 0.002) in MDD patients.

Conclusions: These results provide direct evidence, probably for the first time, that overweight may be associated with several serum cytokines in patients with first-episode drug-naïve MDD. The underlying mechanisms are unclear and require further investigation.

Keywords: body mass index; cytokines; major depressive disorder; overweight; serum.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Correlation between BMI and HAMD-24 scores and the serum levels of cytokines in patients with MDD (Pearson correlation analysis).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Si T, Yang K, Lang X, Dong X, Wang N, Zhang X, et al. . Prevalence and risk factors of overweight and obesity in Chinese patients with first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder. J Affect Disord (2021) 286:351–9. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.01.037 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chae W, Nübel J, Baumert J, Gold S, Otte C. Association of depression and obesity with c-reactive protein in Germany: A large nationally representative study. Brain Behav Immun (2022) 103:223–31. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.04.024 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pereira-Miranda E, Costa P, Queiroz V, Pereira-Santos M, Santana M. Overweight and obesity associated with higher depression prevalence in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Coll Nutr (2017) 36:223–33. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2016.1261053 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Luppino FS, de Wit LM, Bouvy PF, Stijnen T, Cuijpers P, Penninx BW, et al. . Overweight, obesity, and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Arch Gen Psychiatry (2010) 67:220–9. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.2 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Haapakoski R, Mathieu J, Ebmeier K, Alenius H, Kivimäki M. Cumulative meta-analysis of interleukins 6 and 1β, tumour necrosis factor α and c-reactive protein in patients with major depressive disorder. Brain Behav Immun (2015) 49:206–15. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.06.001 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources