title: Increased proapoptotic serum activity in patients with chronic mood disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Growing evidence suggests that endothelial dysfunction may be present in patients with chronic mood disorders. We hypothesized that circulating factors in the sera of patients with chronic mood disorders could induce vascular endothelial damage that in turn may be responsible for increased vascular risk. In this study, we sought to determine whether serum of patients with chronic mood disorders could directly induce apoptosis in human endothelial cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the proapoptotic activity by an ex vivo proapoptotic activity assay in the serum of 100 individuals: 25 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and no lifetime diagnosis of anxiety disorder, 25 patients with bipolar disorder (BPD) with a current comorbid anxiety disorder, 25 patients with BPD and no anxiety, and 25 age- and gender-matched healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proapoptotic serum activity of all mood disorder patients was significantly higher than that of the control group (all p values<0.01). This association was found to be independent from potential confounders including age, gender, smoking status, body mass index, blood pressure parameters, family history of cardiovascular disease, serum creatinine, plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, NT-proBNP, and C-reactive protein (beta=0.44, t=2.93, p=0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together our findings indicate that chronic mood disorders are associated with higher proapoptotic serum capacity. Although subject to future confirmation, it is possible that the increased systemic proapoptotic activity of the serum in these patients could exert deleterious vascular effects resulting in endothelial dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Health and Behavioural Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Politi
authors.forename: Natascia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brondino
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Emanuele
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001685:Biological Factors