Gardhouse Katherine, Carcone Dean, Ruocco Anthony C
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada.
Brain Behav Immun Health. 2021 Mar 31;14:100249. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100249. eCollection 2021 Jul.
Disruptions in stress-sensitive biological systems, notably the immune system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, are strongly implicated in depression, and disturbances in these neuroendoimmune systems could reflect potential pathways through which experiences of stress are translated into depression. To characterize the links between stress and depression, the present study investigated whether neuroendoimmune activity mediates the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms in 59 medically healthy adult females with varying levels of depression. Consistent with hypotheses, both greater perceived stress and higher concentrations of the proinflammatory immune marker, interleukin-6 (IL-6), were associated with greater depressive symptoms. Although neuroendoimmune activity did not significantly mediate the relationship between lifetime perceived stress and depressive symptoms, when considered together, elevated concentrations of IL-6 and lower free cortisol mediated the relationship between severity of childhood stress and current depressive symptoms. These findings shed light on how early life stress may be translated into adulthood depression.
应激敏感生物系统的紊乱，尤其是免疫系统和下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺轴，与抑郁症密切相关，而这些神经内分泌免疫系统的紊乱可能反映了应激经历转化为抑郁症的潜在途径。为了描述应激与抑郁症之间的联系，本研究调查了神经内分泌免疫活动是否介导了59名患有不同程度抑郁症的医学健康成年女性中感知应激与抑郁症状之间的关系。与假设一致，更高的感知应激和促炎免疫标志物白细胞介素 - 6（IL - 6）的更高浓度均与更严重的抑郁症状相关。虽然神经内分泌免疫活动并未显著介导终生感知应激与抑郁症状之间的关系，但综合考虑时，IL - 6浓度升高和游离皮质醇降低介导了童年应激严重程度与当前抑郁症状之间的关系。这些发现揭示了早期生活应激如何可能转化为成年期抑郁症。
