title: Do pregnant women with depression have a pro-inflammatory profile?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We tested the hypothesis that maternal depression is associated with a pro-inflammatory state in pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this nested case-control study, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were compared between women with depression in pregnancy (n = 100) and a computer-generated referent group of healthy women known not to be depressed (n = 100). We only included cases with a documented Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders depression diagnosis in the current pregnancy. Serum samples drawn at 11-14 weeks of gestation were analyzed for levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 using high-sensitivity immunoassays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maternal demographics were similar between the groups except for older age (34.1 vs 32.7 years, P = .05), and lower body mass index (27.3 vs 28.9 kg/m², P = 0.03) among the depressed subjects. Compared to control women, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (5.8 ± 3.4 vs 3.2 ± 2.8 pg/ml, P < 0.0001) and interleukin-6 (2.4 ± 3.8 vs 1.5 ± 1.4 pg/ml, P = 0.03) levels were higher among women with depression. The higher rate of inflammatory cytokines remained significant after controlling for potential confounders, including maternal age and body mass index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with depression may have higher levels of inflammatory markers in early pregnancy. Our findings support the hypothesis that inflammation may be a mediator in the association between maternal depression and adverse perinatal outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine & Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. sinahaeri@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haeri
authors.forename: Arthur M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines