title: Plasma soluble interleukin-2-receptor in depression: relationships to plasma neopterin and serum IL-2 concentrations and HPA-axis activity.
abstract: The present study examined the plasma concentration of the soluble interleukin-2-receptor (sIL-2R) in depressed subjects in relation to hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis function and plasma neopterin and serum IL-2 concentrations. Plasma sIL-2R concentration was significantly higher in depressed patients (n = 47) than in controls (n = 19). There were no significant correlations between plasma sIL-2R and severity of illness. In the depressed subjects, there was a highly significant relationship between plasma sIL-2R and neopterin concentrations. Depressed patients with pathologically increased plasma neopterin levels had significantly higher plasma sIL-2R values than those with normal serum neopterin. There were no significant relationships between plasma sIL-2R and indices of HPA-axis function in depression. There was no significant effect of dexamethasone administration on sIL-2R levels. Significantly more depressed subjects had measurable serum IL-2 levels than normal controls. Our data support the notion that a moderate activation of cell-mediated immunity may play a role in the pathophysiology of depression.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Psychiatry, AZ Stuivenberg, 267 Lange Beeldekensstraat, 2060 Antwerp, Belgium; Departments of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Antwerp, Belgium; Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bosmans
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scharpé
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Hondt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Desnyder