Tianjin Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Tianjin Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Chifeng Anding Hospital, Inner Mongolia, China.
J Affect Disord. 2025 Jan 15;369:211-217. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.172. Epub 2024 Sep 28.
The effect of interleukin-6 (IL-6) on cognition in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate for the first time the non-linear relationship between plasma IL-6 and cognition and its sex-specific associations in patients with drug-naïve MDD.
A total of 326 participants, including 237 drug-naïve MDD patients and 89 healthy controls (HCs), were included in this study. All participants completed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and fasting venous blood was collected for IL-6 measurement. Patients with MDD completed the Hamilton Depression Scale-17 (HAMD-17) and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale-14 (HAMA-14) assessments. Two-way analysis of variance and curve estimation analyses were used to explore the effects of IL-6 on cognition and its sex differences.
We found that IL-6 and cognition were associated in different patterns in HCs and MDD patients. The best model for curve estimation between IL-6 and attention (F = 2.736, p = 0.045) and HAMA (F = 6.416, p < 0.001) in females with MDD was the cubic model. In male MDD patients, the best model for curve estimation between IL-6 and immediate memory was the cubic model (F = 3.077, p = 0.034). However, in HCs, the best model for curve estimation analysis between IL-6 and language was the quadratic model (F = 3.803, p = 0.026).
The main limitations were cross-sectional design.
There was a non-linear and sex-specific relationship between IL-6 levels and cognition in patients with MDD.
白细胞介素 6（IL-6）对抑郁症患者认知的影响尚不清楚。本研究旨在首次探讨未经药物治疗的抑郁症患者血浆 IL-6 与认知之间的非线性关系及其性别特异性关联。
本研究共纳入 326 名参与者，包括 237 名未经药物治疗的抑郁症患者和 89 名健康对照者（HCs）。所有参与者均完成了重复性成套神经心理状态评估量表（RBANS）测试，并采集空腹静脉血检测 IL-6 水平。抑郁症患者完成了汉密尔顿抑郁量表-17 项（HAMD-17）和汉密尔顿焦虑量表-14 项（HAMA-14）评估。采用双向方差分析和曲线估计分析来探讨 IL-6 对认知的影响及其性别差异。
我们发现，HCs 和 MDD 患者中，IL-6 与认知的关系存在不同模式。对于女性 MDD 患者，IL-6 与注意力（F=2.736，p=0.045）和 HAMA（F=6.416，p<0.001）之间最佳的曲线估计模型为三次模型。在男性 MDD 患者中，IL-6 与即刻记忆之间最佳的曲线估计模型为三次模型（F=3.077，p=0.034）。然而，在 HCs 中，IL-6 与语言之间最佳的曲线估计模型为二次模型（F=3.803，p=0.026）。
主要的局限性在于研究采用了横断面设计。
抑郁症患者的 IL-6 水平与认知之间存在非线性和性别特异性关系。
