Association between Serum Ferritin Concentrations and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese Adults: A Population Study from the Tianjin Chronic Low-Grade Systemic Inflammation and Health (TCLSIHealth) Cohort Study.
Depressive symptoms have become the most important global public health issue. Iron plays an important role in brain function, cognition, and behavior, and its impacts on depressive symptoms may be multifactorial with both positive and negative effects. Previous observational studies focusing on the association between iron status and depressive symptoms showed inconsistent results. Ferritin is a ubiquitous intracellular protein that can store and release iron and is widely used as a clinical biomarker to evaluate iron status. We performed a cross-sectional study to examine the relationship between serum ferritin and depressive symptoms among 3,839 subjects who were from the Tianjin Chronic Low-grade Systemic Inflammation and Health (TCLSIHealth) cohort. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Chinese version of 20-item self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) with 4 cutoffs (40, 45, 48 and 50) to indicate elevated depressive symptoms (40 was the primary cut-off). The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 36.5%, 17.6%, 11.0% and 7.0% for SDS ≥40, ≥45, ≥48 and ≥50, respectively. With the primary cut-off point of 40, multiple potential confounding factors were adjusted and the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of having elevated depressive symptoms by quartiles of serum ferritin concentrations were 1.00 (reference), 1.10 (0.91, 1.34), 0.81 (0.66, 1.01) and 1.02 (0.81, 1.28) for the first, second, third and fourth quartile, respectively (P for trend = 0.76). Similar relations were observed with the use of other cut-offs as a definition of depressive symptoms. In conclusion, there is no significant relationship between serum ferritin concentrations and depressive symptoms among Chinese adults.
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Qian
Q
Su
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Yeqing
Y
Gu
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.|Institute of Psychology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Bin
B
Yu
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Fei
F
Yu
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Haiyan
H
He
Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Qing
Q
Zhang
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Ge
G
Meng
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Hongmei
H
Wu
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Huanmin
H
Du
Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Li
L
Liu
Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Hongbin
H
Shi
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Yang
Y
Xia
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Xiaoyan
X
Guo
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Xing
X
Liu
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Chunlei
C
Li
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Xue
X
Bao
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Fangfang
F
Liu
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Liyun
L
Fang
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Huijun
H
Yang
Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Shaomei
S
Sun
Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Xing
X
Wang
Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Ming
M
Zhou
Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Qiyu
Q
Jia
Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Honglin
H
Zhao
Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Kun
K
Song
Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.|Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Non-communicable Disease, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Kaijun
K
Niu
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D005293:Ferritins