Investigating the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and adolescent depression: a comparative analysis
BackgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescents poses a significant threat to physical health. Previous studies have indicated that adolescents with MDD exhibit immune activation.ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare cytokine levels in adolescents with MDD to healthy controls and assess thei...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1524015/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832087161531269120 |
|---|---|
| author | Mengqi Liu Mengqi Liu Jie Tang Jie Tang Gaoyang Xu Gaoyang Xu Xu Chen Xu Chen Kun Fang Fan He Fan He Yi Zheng Yi Zheng |
| author_facet | Mengqi Liu Mengqi Liu Jie Tang Jie Tang Gaoyang Xu Gaoyang Xu Xu Chen Xu Chen Kun Fang Fan He Fan He Yi Zheng Yi Zheng |
| author_sort | Mengqi Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescents poses a significant threat to physical health. Previous studies have indicated that adolescents with MDD exhibit immune activation.ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare cytokine levels in adolescents with MDD to healthy controls and assess their diagnostic value.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 58 adolescent patients with depression from Beijing Anding Hospital (outpatients and inpatients) and 40 healthy adolescents recruited from the community. Multiplex cytokine analysis (Luminex xMAP) was used to measure serum levels of several cytokines. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (version 26.0) to compare cytokine levels between adolescents with MDD and healthy controls and assess gender differences. Correlations between cytokine levels and demographic data, clinical features and depressive symptoms were also analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of cytokines.ResultsSerum IL-4, IFN-γ, and TNF-α levels were significantly elevated in MDD group compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05). In MDD group, the age of first onset of depression in females was significantly younger than that in males (p < 0.05), and female serum TNF-α levels were significantly higher than those in males (p < 0.05). BMI and serum IL-4 levels were significantly positively correlated in adolescents with MDD. The area under the ROC curve for serum IL-4 and TNF-α in diagnosing adolescent depression was 0.695 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.580 - 0.809; p < 0.05), with a sensitivity of 0.793 and specificity of 0.675.ConclusionCompared with healthy controls, adolescents with depression demonstrated significantly elevated serum cytokine levels, indicating immune activation which were higher in female. Cytokines may have promising diagnostic value in adolescent depression, but further validation with additional indicators is needed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-af71708874434abfbe0aea60b93ab46f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-af71708874434abfbe0aea60b93ab46f2025-02-06T07:09:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-02-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.15240151524015Investigating the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and adolescent depression: a comparative analysisMengqi Liu0Mengqi Liu1Jie Tang2Jie Tang3Gaoyang Xu4Gaoyang Xu5Xu Chen6Xu Chen7Kun Fang8Fan He9Fan He10Yi Zheng11Yi Zheng12The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaAdvanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaThe National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaAdvanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaThe National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaAdvanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaThe National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaAdvanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaThe National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaAdvanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaThe National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaAdvanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaBackgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescents poses a significant threat to physical health. Previous studies have indicated that adolescents with MDD exhibit immune activation.ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare cytokine levels in adolescents with MDD to healthy controls and assess their diagnostic value.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 58 adolescent patients with depression from Beijing Anding Hospital (outpatients and inpatients) and 40 healthy adolescents recruited from the community. Multiplex cytokine analysis (Luminex xMAP) was used to measure serum levels of several cytokines. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (version 26.0) to compare cytokine levels between adolescents with MDD and healthy controls and assess gender differences. Correlations between cytokine levels and demographic data, clinical features and depressive symptoms were also analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of cytokines.ResultsSerum IL-4, IFN-γ, and TNF-α levels were significantly elevated in MDD group compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05). In MDD group, the age of first onset of depression in females was significantly younger than that in males (p < 0.05), and female serum TNF-α levels were significantly higher than those in males (p < 0.05). BMI and serum IL-4 levels were significantly positively correlated in adolescents with MDD. The area under the ROC curve for serum IL-4 and TNF-α in diagnosing adolescent depression was 0.695 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.580 - 0.809; p < 0.05), with a sensitivity of 0.793 and specificity of 0.675.ConclusionCompared with healthy controls, adolescents with depression demonstrated significantly elevated serum cytokine levels, indicating immune activation which were higher in female. Cytokines may have promising diagnostic value in adolescent depression, but further validation with additional indicators is needed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1524015/fulladolescentsinflammationdepressionTNF-αIL-4 |
| spellingShingle | Mengqi Liu Mengqi Liu Jie Tang Jie Tang Gaoyang Xu Gaoyang Xu Xu Chen Xu Chen Kun Fang Fan He Fan He Yi Zheng Yi Zheng Investigating the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and adolescent depression: a comparative analysis Frontiers in Psychiatry adolescents inflammation depression TNF-α IL-4 |
| title | Investigating the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and adolescent depression: a comparative analysis |
| title_full | Investigating the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and adolescent depression: a comparative analysis |
| title_fullStr | Investigating the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and adolescent depression: a comparative analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and adolescent depression: a comparative analysis |
| title_short | Investigating the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and adolescent depression: a comparative analysis |
| title_sort | investigating the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and adolescent depression a comparative analysis |
| topic | adolescents inflammation depression TNF-α IL-4 |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1524015/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mengqiliu investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT mengqiliu investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT jietang investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT jietang investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT gaoyangxu investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT gaoyangxu investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT xuchen investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT xuchen investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT kunfang investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT fanhe investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT fanhe investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT yizheng investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis AT yizheng investigatingtherelationshipbetweeninflammatorycytokinesandadolescentdepressionacomparativeanalysis |