Department of Psychiatry, Mind-Body Interface Laboratory (MBI-Lab), China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; College of Medicine, Brain Disease Research Center (BDRC), China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Department of Psychiatry, Mind-Body Interface Laboratory (MBI-Lab), China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; College of Medicine, Brain Disease Research Center (BDRC), China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2018 Jan 3;80(Pt C):273-278. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.05.008. Epub 2017 May 20.
Prenatal depression (PND) is a common psychiatric disorder in pregnant women and leads to psychosocial dysfunction, high suicidal rate, and adverse childcare. Patients with PND have omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 or n-3 PUFAs) deficits, which might link to chronic low-grade inflammatory process and the pathophysiological mechanisms of depression. In this case-control study, we examined the levels of PUFAs and inflammatory cytokines in PND.
Blood samples were obtained and analyzed from 16 healthy controls and 17 depressed cases (PND group) diagnosed with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). Independent sample t-test and correlation analysis were performed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) logistics correlation analysis.
PND group had significantly lower levels of total n-3 (p=0.026), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (p=0.020) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) (p=0.019) but a higher omega-6 (n-6)/n-3 PUFAs ratio (p=0.007) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) (p=0.016) level. Moreover, the duration of current PND episodes were also significantly correlated with DHA, EPA, n-3 PUFAs, n-6/n-3 ratio and TNF-α. In terms of PUFAs and cytokine levels, only DHA was inversely correlated with TNF-α.
PND is significantly associated with lower DHA, EPA, and total n-3 PUFAs levels and an increased n-6/n-3 PUFAs ratio, while the duration of PND is associated with lower levels of n-3 PUFAs, including DHA and EPA. The correlation of PUFAs levels with depression and TNF-α level grant further investigation into the inflammatory process underlying PND, mediated by PUFAs.
产前抑郁症（PND）是孕妇中常见的精神疾病，可导致社会心理功能障碍、高自杀率和不良育儿。患有 PND 的患者存在ω-3 多不饱和脂肪酸（ω-3 或 n-3 PUFA）缺乏，这可能与慢性低度炎症过程和抑郁症的病理生理机制有关。在这项病例对照研究中，我们检测了 PND 患者的多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFA）和炎症细胞因子水平。
从 16 名健康对照者和 17 名被诊断为《精神障碍诊断与统计手册》第四版（DSM-IV）的抑郁病例（PND 组）中采集血液样本并进行分析。采用社会科学统计软件包（SPSS）逻辑斯谛相关分析进行独立样本 t 检验和相关性分析。
PND 组的总 n-3（p=0.026）、二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）（p=0.020）和二十碳五烯酸（EPA）（p=0.019）水平显著降低，但ω-6（n-6）/n-3 PUFA 比值（p=0.007）和肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）（p=0.016）水平较高。此外，当前 PND 发作持续时间与 DHA、EPA、n-3 PUFA、n-6/n-3 比值和 TNF-α也呈显著相关性。就 PUFA 和细胞因子水平而言，只有 DHA 与 TNF-α呈负相关。
PND 与 DHA、EPA 和总 n-3 PUFA 水平降低以及 n-6/n-3 PUFA 比值升高显著相关，而 PND 持续时间与包括 DHA 和 EPA 在内的 n-3 PUFA 水平降低相关。PUFA 水平与抑郁和 TNF-α水平的相关性提示，PUFA 可能通过炎症过程介导 PND。
