Elevation of plasma concentration of adhesion molecules in late-life depression.
OBJECTIVE
Late-life depression may be associated with vascular disease. The purpose of the study was to investigate this association by determining the levels of soluble adhesion molecules (sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1) which represent markers of ischemia-induced inflammation in elderly individuals with depression.


METHODS
Blood samples were obtained from 33 subjects with depression selected from a community-dwelling population after screening with the Geriatric Depression Scale, and 33 matched controls. Serum concentrations of sICAM-1 (ng/mL) and sVCAM-1 (ng/mL) were measured in both groups.


RESULTS
Depressed patients (Group A) possessed significantly higher sICAM-1 levels compared to healthy controls (Group B) (674.94 +/- 166.90 ng/ml vs 467.05 +/- 231.26 ng/ml, respectively, p < 0.01). Similarly the same groups demonstrated elevated sVCAM-1 levels compared to controls (572.14 +/- 182.20 ng/ml vs 449.04 +/- 285.27 ng/ml, p < 0.05); a difference that in both cases remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders (gender, smoking, presence of metabolic syndrome).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate an association between high serum levels of VCAM-1, and ICAM-1 and depression in the elderly and further support the vascular depression hypothesis, which has important implications for the understanding and management of late-life depression.
Dimopoulos
Nikolaos
N
Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Piperi
Christina
C
Salonicioti
Aristea
A
Mitsonis
Charalampos
C
Liappas
Ioannis
I
Lea
Robert W
RW
Kalofoutis
Anastasios
A
D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000097:blood*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1