First evidence for glial pathology in late life minor depression: S100B is increased in males with minor depression.
Minor depression is diagnosed when a patient suffers from 2 to 4 depressive symptoms for at least 2 weeks. Though minor depression is a widespread phenomenon, its pathophysiology has hardly been studied. To get a first insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this disorder we assessed serum levels of biomarkers for plasticity, glial and neuronal function: brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), S100B and neuron specific enolase (NSE). 27 subjects with minor depressive episode and 82 healthy subjects over 60 years of age were selected from the database of the Leipzig population-based study of civilization diseases (LIFE). Serum levels of BDNF, S100B and NSE were compared between groups, and correlated with age, body-mass index (BMI), and degree of white matter hyperintensities (score on Fazekas scale). S100B was significantly increased in males with minor depression in comparison to healthy males, whereas other biomarkers did not differ between groups (p = 0.10-0.66). NSE correlated with Fazekas score in patients with minor depression (rs = 0.436, p = 0.048) and in the whole sample (rs = 0.252, p = 0.019). S100B correlated with BMI (rs = 0.246, p = 0.031) and with age in healthy subjects (rs = 0.345, p = 0.002). Increased S100B in males with minor depression, without alterations in BDNF and NSE, supports the glial hypothesis of depression. Correlation between white matter hyperintensities and NSE underscores the vascular hypothesis of late life depression.
Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany ; University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany ; LIFE-Leipzig Rsearch Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany.
Maryna
M
Polyakova
University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany ; LIFE-Leipzig Rsearch Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany.
Christian
C
Sander
Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany ; LIFE-Leipzig Rsearch Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany.
Katrin
K
Arelin
Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany ; LIFE-Leipzig Rsearch Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany.
Leonie
L
Lampe
LIFE-Leipzig Rsearch Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany ; Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health (ISAP), Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany.
Tobias
T
Luck
LIFE-Leipzig Rsearch Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany ; Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health (ISAP), Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany.
Melanie
M
Luppa
LIFE-Leipzig Rsearch Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany ; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany.
Jürgen
J
Kratzsch
Department of Neuroradiology, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany.
Karl-Titus
KT
Hoffmann
LIFE-Leipzig Rsearch Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany ; Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health (ISAP), Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany.
Steffi
S
Riedel-Heller
Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany ; LIFE-Leipzig Rsearch Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany ; Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig Leipzig, Germany.
Arno
A
Villringer
University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany ; LIFE-Leipzig Rsearch Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany.
Peter
P
Schoenknecht
Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany ; LIFE-Leipzig Rsearch Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University Leipzig, Germany ; Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig Leipzig, Germany.
Matthias L
ML
Schroeter
BDNF; NSE; S100B; biomarker; glia; late life depression; minor depression; white matter hyperintensities