title: ASC provides a potential link between depression and inflammatory disorders: A clinical study of depressed Iranian medical students.
abstract: Background and aims AIM2 is a component of inflammasomes which can activate caspase-1 via an adaptor protein (ASC) after pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) or danger-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) recognition. Activation of caspase-1 is a trigger for the induction of IL-1 and IL-18 which are important pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, IL-1β, which can regulate inflammatory responses, has also been associated with depression. Previous studies revealed that patients suffering from depression may also have altered immune responses, but the mechanisms underlying this correlation are unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the mRNA levels of AIM2 and ASC in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from Iranian medical students suffering from depression. Materials and methods The participants used for the study included 38 Iranian medical students diagnosed with depression and 43 non-depressed students as a control group. The mRNA levels of AIM2 and ASC were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using β-actin as a housekeeping gene for the normalization of expression. Results The results showed that mRNA levels of AIM2 were similar in both groups. However, ASC levels were significantly increased in PBMCs isolated from individuals with elevated depressive symptoms when compared to non-depressed participants. Conclusions Based on the current results, it appears that ASC transcript expression may be a surrogate marker for depression and may represent a link between depression and the altered immune responses observed in these categories of individuals with elevated depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: a Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center , Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences , Rafsanjan , Iran ;
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Momeni
authors.affiliation: b Department of Immunology, Medical School , AJA University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran ;
authors.forename: Khodayar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghorban
authors.affiliation: c Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical School , AJA University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran ;
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dadmanesh
authors.affiliation: d Geriatric Care Research Center , Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences , Rafsanjan , Iran ;
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khodadadi
authors.affiliation: e Department of Psychiatry, Research Center of Addiction and Behavioral Sciences , Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences , Yazd , Iran ;
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bidaki
authors.affiliation: a Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center , Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences , Rafsanjan , Iran ;
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kazemi Arababadi
authors.affiliation: f School of Natural Sciences, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery , Griffith University , Nathan , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kennedy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: C410167:AIM2 protein, human; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C402202:PYCARD protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: AIM2; ASC; Depression; Inflammation