Aberrant interleukin-2 receptor-mediated blastoformation of peripheral blood lymphocytes in a severe major depressive episode.
BACKGROUND
We examined interleukin-2 (IL-2) related immune pathways in depression to elucidate mechanisms underlying various immunological disturbances associated with depression.


METHODS
Subjects comprised 35 unmedicated patients with a major depressive episode without psychotic features and 36 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. The immune parameters examined included the numbers of B and T cells, IL-2 receptor-mediated blastoformation (IL-2R-mediated blastoformation), IL-2 production and expression of the IL-2 receptor alpha-subunit.


RESULTS
The patients with a severe episode showed significantly lower IL-2R-mediated blastoformation than the controls. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between IL-2R-mediated blastoformation and the severity of depression at the time of entry.


CONCLUSIONS
The reduced IL-2R-mediated blastoformation may partly explain several previously reported abnormal immune functions associated with depression.
Kanba
S
S
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Yamanashi Medical University, Yamanashi-ken, Japan.
Manki
H
H
Shintani
F
F
Ohno
Y
Y
Yagi
G
G
Asai
M
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2