The importance of cytokines and autoantibodies in depression

Author(s)

Postal, Mariana ^[1] ; Appenzeller, Simone ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Fac Med Sci, Dept Med, Rheumatol Unit, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Review article
• Source: AUTOIMMUNITY REVIEWS; v. 14, n. 1, p. 30-35, JAN 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 51

Abstract

The relationship between depression and immunity has been widely discussed. Cytokines, such as TNF-alpha, play an important role in immune system; these cytokines interact with virtually every pathophysiologic domain relevant to depression, including neurotransmitter metabolism, neuroendocrine function, and synaptic plasticity. Antibodies have also been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. The association between decreased serotonin levels and excessive glutamatergic activity forms the first biochemical basis for cytokine-induced depression. Cytokines and antibodies (anti-ribosomal-P and anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibodies) are deeply related to pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders, especially depression. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) may underlie the mechanism of depression by an activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, an activation of neuronal serotonin transporters and the stimulation of the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase which leads to typtophan depletion. In the last 20 years since the initial reports of neural-immune interactions in depression, studies have shown a clear association between activation of the immune system mediated by proinflammatory cytokines. Genes encoding cytokines are highly polymorphic and single nucleotide polymorphisms, associated with increased or reduced cytokine production, have been described. To date, there are only few studies that investigated the relationship between depression and proinflammatory cytokines in patients with autoimmune diseases. Although an associative link between neuro-inflammation and mood disorders is widely accepted, further studies are necessary to establish the cause-effect relationship. In this paper, we review the role of cytokines, focusing on TNF-alpha and antibodies in the depression and hypothesize how TNF-alpha may underlie and mediate the inflammatory process depression in patients with autoimmune disease. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/02917-0 - Blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers associated with structural and functional central nervous system abnormalities in systemic lupus erythematosus
• Grantee: Simone Appenzeller
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 11/03788-2 - Longitudinal evaluation of interleukins 4, 6, 10 and 12, interferon gamma and tumor necrosis factor alpha and laboratory and clinical associations in systemic lupus erythematosus
• Grantee: Mariana Postal Zink de Souza
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate