title: Lymphocyte subsets and lymphokine production in patients with melancholic versus nonmelancholic depression.
abstract: Several studies have reported immune changes during depression, but the results have not been fully consistent. Some of these changes could be related to the presence of melancholic features. A total of 42 depressed patients (melancholic [MEL] and nonmelancholic [non-MEL]) and 20 healthy controls participated in the study. We detected a higher CD4+ lymphocyte subset in MEL patients than in controls during the depressive state, which disappeared after clinical remission. We also found an increase in interleukin-2 (IL-2) production both in MEL and non-MEL patients, but these values did not differ from control values after clinical remission. Some of these changes may be related to the melancholic characteristics of depression.
authors.affiliation: University Clinic, Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, University of Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Spain. schlatter@unav.es
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schlatter
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ortuño
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cervera-Enguix
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011598:Psychoneuroimmunology; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008222:Lymphokines; D015847:Interleukin-4