Graduate School of Medicine, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
Eur J Neurosci. 2023 Jun;57(11):1913-1928. doi: 10.1111/ejn.15992. Epub 2023 Apr 26.
The pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-6 and TNF-α are associated with major depressive disorder, psychological distress, cardiovascular health and obesity. However, there is limited research that has examined multiple associations between these variables, particularly among individuals with major depressive disorder who are treatment free, in comparison with a control cohort, and including analyses of sex differences. In this study, data were analysed from 60 individuals with major depressive disorder and 60 controls, including plasma IL-1α, IL-6 and TNF-α, adiposity measures (body mass index, waist circumference), cardiovascular health indices (blood pressure, heart rate) and psychological symptoms (depressive severity, anxiety, hostility, stress). The cytokines were compared by group and sex and correlated with measures of adiposity, cardiovascular health indices and psychological health. Plasma IL-1α and IL-6 were higher in major depressive disorder group versus control, but with a sex interaction for IL-6, with this group difference only among females. TNF-α did not differ between groups. IL-1α and IL-6 correlated with depressive severity, anxiety, hostility and stress, whereas TNF-α correlated only with anxiety and hostility. Psychopathology was associated with IL-1α in males only and with IL-6 and TNF-α in females only. None of the cytokines correlated with body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure or heart rate. The result of group by sex interaction for IL-6 and sex-specific associations between pro-inflammatory cytokines and psychometrics could be aetiologically important in depression interventions and treatments for females versus males, warranting further investigation.
促炎细胞因子 IL-1α、IL-6 和 TNF-α 与重度抑郁症、心理困扰、心血管健康和肥胖有关。然而，很少有研究同时检验了这些变量之间的多种关联，特别是在未接受治疗的重度抑郁症患者中，与对照组相比，并且包括对性别差异的分析。在这项研究中，分析了 60 名重度抑郁症患者和 60 名对照者的数据，包括血浆 IL-1α、IL-6 和 TNF-α、肥胖指标（体重指数、腰围）、心血管健康指标（血压、心率）和心理症状（抑郁严重程度、焦虑、敌意、压力）。根据组和性别比较细胞因子，并与肥胖指标、心血管健康指标和心理健康进行相关性分析。与对照组相比，重度抑郁症组的血浆 IL-1α 和 IL-6 水平更高，但 IL-6 存在性别交互作用，这种组间差异仅在女性中存在。TNF-α 在两组之间没有差异。IL-1α 和 IL-6 与抑郁严重程度、焦虑、敌意和压力相关，而 TNF-α 仅与焦虑和敌意相关。精神病理学与男性的 IL-1α 相关，与女性的 IL-6 和 TNF-α 相关。细胞因子均与体重指数、腰围、血压或心率无关。IL-6 的组与性别交互作用和促炎细胞因子与心理计量学之间的性别特异性关联可能对女性与男性的抑郁症干预和治疗具有病因学意义，值得进一步研究。
