title: Inflammation and neuronal plasticity: a link between childhood trauma and depression pathogenesis.
abstract: During the past two decades, there has been increasing interest in understanding and characterizing the role of inflammation in major depressive disorder (MDD). Indeed, several are the evidences linking alterations in the inflammatory system to Major Depression, including the presence of elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, together with other mediators of inflammation. However, it is still not clear whether inflammation represents a cause or whether other factors related to depression result in these immunological effects. Regardless, exposure to early life stressful events, which represent a vulnerability factor for the development of psychiatric disorders, act through the modulation of inflammatory responses, but also of neuroplastic mechanisms over the entire life span. Indeed, early life stressful events can cause, possibly through epigenetic changes that persist over time, up to adulthood. Such alterations may concur to increase the vulnerability to develop psychopathologies. In this review we will discuss the role of inflammation and neuronal plasticity as relevant processes underlying depression development. Moreover, we will discuss the role of epigenetics in inducing alterations in inflammation-immune systems as well as dysfunction in neuronal plasticity, thus contributing to the long-lasting negative effects of stressful life events early in life and the consequent enhanced risk for depression. Finally we will provide an overview on the potential role of inflammatory system to aid diagnosis, predict treatment response, enhance treatment matching, and prevent the onset or relapse of Major Depression.
authors: Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London London, UK ; IRCCS Centro S Giovanni di Dio, Fatebenefratelli Brescia, Italy.
authors: Annamaria
authors: A
authors: Cattaneo
authors: Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan Milan, Italy.
authors: Flavia
authors: F
authors: Macchi
authors: IRCCS Centro S Giovanni di Dio, Fatebenefratelli Brescia, Italy.
authors: Giona
authors: G
authors: Plazzotta
authors: Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan Milan, Italy.
authors: Begni
authors: B
authors: Veronica
authors: IRCCS Centro S Giovanni di Dio, Fatebenefratelli Brescia, Italy ; Faculty of Psychology, eCampus University Novedrate (Como), Italy.
authors: Luisella
authors: L
authors: Bocchio-Chiavetto
authors: Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan Milan, Italy.
authors: Marco Andrea
authors: MA
authors: Riva
authors: Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London London, UK.
authors: Carmine Maria
authors: CM
authors: Pariante
keywords: childhood trauma; depression; inflammation; neuroplasticity; stress