Oxidative Stress and Serum S100B Levels in Adolescents with First-Episode Drug-Naive Unipolar Depression.

BACKGROUND

Unipolar depression is common among adolescents and has high recurrence rates. Studies conducted with adults show that oxidative stress plays a role in etiology of depression but studies with adolescent patients are limited. In addition, baseline S100B level in adult patients with depression is considered as a marker of response to treatment. The purpose of this study was to measure the levels of serum S100B, Malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), and total antioxidant status (TAS), which have not been previously investigated in adolescent patients with first-episode, drug-naive unipolar depression, and to investigate the relationship of these parameters with disease severity and patient-specific variables.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

This study was conducted with 37 adolescents diagnosed with unipolar depression and 37 healthy peers. Participants were asked to fill out the Beck Depression Scale, Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders, and suicide probability questionnaires. After this procedure, 5 cc blood was collected from the adolescents and serum S100B, MDA, TOS, and OSI levels measured.

RESULTS

Serum S100B, MDA, TOS, and OSI levels were higher and TAS level was lower in patients than their healthy peers. There was no relationship between the patients' severity of depression or suicide probability and these parameters. The serum S100B, MDA, TOS, and OSI levels of female patients were higher than their healthy peers, but the TAS level was not different. Male patients had higher TOS and OSI levels and lower TAS levels than their healthy peers.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show that increased serum S100B, MDA, TOS and OSI levels may contribute to etiology of depression regardless of gender. The gender-specific increase in S100B and MDA levels, which were significantly increased in female adolescent patients but not in males, should be supported by further follow-up studies.