Increase in interleukin-1beta in late-life depression.
OBJECTIVE
Depression has been associated with increases in circulating cytokines in younger adults, and there is evidence for prefrontal inflammation in late-life depression. The authors tested the hypothesis that levels of cytokine interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) would be higher in subjects with late-life major depression.


METHODS
Serum levels of IL-1beta were measured in three groups of subjects who were older than 60: 19 subjects with major depression, 20 subjects with subsyndromal depression, and 21 healthy comparison subjects. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Geriatric Depression Scale were used to assess severity of depression.


RESULTS
Compared with healthy subjects, those with major depression had significantly higher levels of IL-1beta (170%); the higher levels of IL-1beta strongly correlated with current depression severity. There were no significant differences between subjects with subsyndromal depression and the other two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support the existence of an inflammatory response, which may be state dependent, in late-life depression.
Thomas
Alan J
AJ
School of Neurology, Neurobiology and Psychiatry and the Institute for Ageing and Health, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. a.j.thomas@ncl.ac.uk
Davis
Sue
S
Morris
Christopher
C
Jackson
Elizabeth
E
Harrison
Richard
R
O'Brien
John T
JT
D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D007375:Interleukin-1; D002097:C-Reactive Protein