Lymphocyte subsets in major depressive patients. Influence of anxiety and corticoadrenal overdrive.
We studied 26 inpatients (17 females; mean age +/- SD: 41.2 +/- 14.3 years) who met the DSM III criteria for a major depressive episode and had a mean (+/- SD) Hamilton Depression Score of 19.3 +/- 8.0. All patients were drug free and medically healthy at the time of experimentation. We found a significant correlation between the CD4/CD8 ratio and the Hamilton Anxiety Score (r = 0.57, p less than 0.005). When splitting our sample in dexamethasone suppression test suppressors (DST-S) and nonsuppressors (DST-NS), this relationship appeared only in DST-NS (DST-NS: r = 0.81, p less than 0.005; DST-S: r = 0.20, p = NS). These results are discussed in terms of heterogeneity among major depressive disorders and possible relationships between catecholaminergic activity and the immune system.
Charles
G
G
Vincent Van Gogh Psychiatric Hospital, Marchienne-au-Pont, Belgium.
Machowski
R
R
Brohee
D
D
Wilmotte
J
J
Kennes
B
B
D000303:Adrenal Cortex Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone