George Mason University, Center for the Study of Chronic Illness and Disability, 4400 University Drive, MSN 5B7, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.
Biol Psychol. 2010 May;84(2):228-34. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.01.016. Epub 2010 Jan 29.
Depression is associated with dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, overactivity of the sympathoadrenal system, and increased levels of inflammation markers. It is not known whether these biological processes are disproportionately elevated in response to acute negative emotional arousal by mental stress (MS). The present study investigates responses of neurohormones and inflammatory markers to MS in 14 clinically depressed (age: 42+/-10 years; 50% female) and 14 non-depressed control (age: 39+/-6 years; 50% female) participants. Heightened acute MS reactivity was documented in depressed participants (adrenocorticotropic hormone, rho=0.001; norepinephrine, rho=0.042; epinephrine, rho=0.039), and a delayed increase in cortisol was observed (rho=0.002). Inflammation markers increased more strongly in depressed versus non-depressed participants (IL-6, rho=0.027; tumor necrosis factor-alpha, rho=0.050; and recovery C-reactive protein, rho=0.003). It is concluded that depressed individuals display hyper-reactivity of neuroimmunological markers in response to acute negative emotions. This hyper-reactivity may serve a pathologic role in the elevated morbidity and mortality risk associated with depression.
抑郁症与下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴功能失调、交感肾上腺系统过度活跃以及炎症标志物水平升高有关。目前尚不清楚这些生物过程是否会因精神应激（MS）引起的急性负性情绪唤醒而不成比例地升高。本研究调查了 14 名临床抑郁症患者（年龄：42+/-10 岁；50%为女性）和 14 名非抑郁症对照组（年龄：39+/-6 岁；50%为女性）对 MS 的神经激素和炎症标志物的反应。抑郁症患者的急性 MS 反应性增强（促肾上腺皮质激素，rho=0.001；去甲肾上腺素，rho=0.042；肾上腺素，rho=0.039），皮质醇的增加呈延迟性（rho=0.002）。与非抑郁症患者相比，抑郁症患者的炎症标志物增加更为明显（IL-6，rho=0.027；肿瘤坏死因子-α，rho=0.050；和恢复 C 反应蛋白，rho=0.003）。结论是，抑郁症患者对急性负性情绪的神经免疫标志物表现出过度反应。这种过度反应可能在与抑郁症相关的发病率和死亡率升高的病理机制中发挥作用。
