title: Pro-inflammatory cytokines are elevated in adolescent females with emotional disorders not treated with SSRIs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) show elevated levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Studies of adolescents with MDD or anxiety disorders (AD) are few and present conflicting results.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied plasma cytokines in a clinical sample of adolescent females with MDD and/or clinical AD (n=60, mean age 16.8 years), compared to healthy controls (n=44; mean age 16.5 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clinical sample showed significantly higher values of IL-2 (Z=-4.09, p>0.0001), IL1-beta (Z=-2.40, p<0.05) and IL-10 (Z=-2.38, p<0.05) as compared to controls. The subgroup of the clinical sample not treated with SSRIs had a significant difference of IL-6 (Z=-2.26, p<0.05) in addition to the difference of IL-2 and IL1-beta, but showed no difference of IL-10 as compared to the controls. SSRI treatment was related to IL-6, explaining 26% of the variance in the clinical sample after controlling for BMI and symptom severity. In the clinical sample, levels of IL-6 and IFN-gamma were positively correlated with self-assessed symptoms of anxiety and/or depression (corr.coeff 0.35 resp 0.40 at p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cross-sectional design does not allow for conclusions on causality. The sample sizes were relatively small and a large drop-out in the clinical sample may have influenced the representativity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that pro-inflammatory cytokines are part of the pathophysiology of emotional disorders in adolescent females and that SSRIs have anti-inflammatory properties. The findings prompt further studies on the specific mechanisms involved and may contribute to the development of more effective treatment and prevention.
authors: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. eva.henjeblom@ki.se
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Henje Blom
authors: Mats
authors: M
authors: Lekander
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Ingvar
authors: Marie
authors: M
authors: Åsberg
authors: Fariborz
authors: F
authors: Mobarrez
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Serlachius
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors