Wang Xiaolan, Kong Yiting, Xiang Jingyue, Jiang Zhenghao, Wang Yijia, Chen Xiaorong, Wan Liyang, Hong Su, Kuang Li
Mental Health Center, University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Department of Psychiatric Center,The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Front Psychiatry. 2025 Sep 1;16:1655332. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1655332. eCollection 2025.
Growing evidence implicates the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily in neurodevelopment and immunoregulatory processes, with several members associated with depression in adults. However, the relationship between specific TGF-β superfamily members and adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) remains poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate whether specific TGF-β superfamily members could serve as biomarkers for adolescent MDD.
In this cross-sectional study, 180 adolescents were enrolled,including individuals diagnosed with MDD and healthy controls (HC). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17). Serum concentrations of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1),growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11), and growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), were quantified via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed.Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to explore associations between serum TGF-β superfamily levels and depression severity. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic potential of these TGF-β superfamily members in MDD.
Compared with healthy controls, the MDD group exhibited significantly lower serum levels of TGF-β1 and GDF11,and higher levels of GDF15 (all < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that serum TGF-β1 and GDF11 were negatively associated with depression severity, while GDF15 levels showed a positive correlation. All three molecules demonstrated strong diagnostic potential for MDD. Combination of these three proteins demonstrated much better diagnostic effectiveness.
Serum TGF-β1, GDF11, and GDF15 levels may serve as promising biomarkers for adolescent MDD, offering potential utility in identifying disease susceptibility. These findings highlight the TGF-β superfamily's role in adolescent depression and warrant further mechanistic investigation.
越来越多的证据表明，转化生长因子-β（TGF-β）超家族参与神经发育和免疫调节过程，该家族的几个成员与成年人的抑郁症有关。然而，特定的TGF-β超家族成员与青少年重度抑郁症（MDD）之间的关系仍知之甚少。本研究旨在评估特定的TGF-β超家族成员是否可作为青少年MDD的生物标志物。
在这项横断面研究中，招募了180名青少年，包括被诊断为MDD的个体和健康对照（HC）。使用17项汉密尔顿抑郁量表（HAMD-17）评估抑郁症状。通过酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）对血清中转化生长因子-β1（TGF-β1）、生长分化因子11（GDF11）和生长分化因子15（GDF15）的浓度进行定量。分析人口统计学和临床特征。进行相关性和多元线性回归分析，以探讨血清TGF-β超家族水平与抑郁严重程度之间的关联。此外，采用受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析来评估这些TGF-β超家族成员在MDD中的诊断潜力。
与健康对照相比，MDD组血清TGF-β1和GDF11水平显著降低，GDF15水平升高（均P<0.05）。相关性分析显示，血清TGF-β1和GDF11与抑郁严重程度呈负相关，而GDF15水平呈正相关。所有这三种分子对MDD均显示出强大的诊断潜力。这三种蛋白质联合使用显示出更好的诊断效果。
血清TGF-β1、GDF11和GDF15水平可能是青少年MDD有前景的生物标志物，在识别疾病易感性方面具有潜在用途。这些发现突出了TGF-β超家族在青少年抑郁症中的作用，值得进一步进行机制研究。
