title: Plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and interleukin-6 in patients with dysthymic disorder: comparison with age- and sex-matched major depressed patients and healthy controls.
abstract: In the present study, we investigated the serum BDNF levels and plasma IL-6 levels in patients with dysthymic disorder, major depressive disorder and control subjects. Eighteen patients who met the DSM-IV criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) for dysthymic disorder (male/female: 5/13; age: 36 ± 9 year) and 20 patients (male/female: 7/13; age: 38 ± 10 year) who met the criteria for major depressive disorder were enrolled. The serum BDNF levels in patients with dysthymic and major depressive disorder were significantly lower than those in the control subjects. However, no difference was found between the dysthymic group and major depression group. The plasma IL-6 levels in the dysthymic group and major depression group were significantly higher than those in the control group. No difference was observed in the plasma IL-6 levels between the dysthymic group and major depression group. These results suggest that the pathophysiology of dysthymic disorder and major depression might be similar in terms of the blood levels of BDNF and IL-6.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Japan. yoshi621@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Reiji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: Wakako
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Umene-Nakano
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoshuyama
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ikenouchi-Sugita
authors.forename: Hikaru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Asuka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsuki
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Kiyokazu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atake
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood*; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D015850:Interleukin-6