title: Aberrant interleukin-2 receptor-mediated blastoformation of peripheral blood lymphocytes in a severe major depressive episode.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Yamanashi Medical University, Yamanashi-ken, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanba
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Manki
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shintani
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asai
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2