Depression: Biological markers and treatment

Psychiatric Disorders - Trends and Developments, 2011

Depression is a multicausal disorder and has been associated with the risk to develop cancer, dementia, diabetes, epilepsy and stroke. As a metabolic disorder depression has been associated with obesity, diabetes, insulin sensitivity, neuropeptide Y, glucose regulation, poor glycemic control, glucagone-like peptide-1, cholezystokinin, ghrelin, leptin, the endocannabinoid system, insulin-like growth factor and gastrin-releasing peptide. As a cardiovascular disease a close relationship exists between depression and blood pressure, heart rate, norepinephrine, sympathetic tone, vascular resistance, blood viscosity, plasma volume, intima thickness and atherosclerosis. Additionally blood coagulation, fibrinolysis, D-dimers, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 protein, platelet activation, VEGF, plasma nitric oxide and its synthase are changed in depressed patients. As an endocrinological and stress disorder depression has been connected with the concentration of free T 4 , TSH, CRH, arginine vasopressin, corticotrophin, corticosteroid release and ACTH. Depression as an inflammatory disorder is mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1, interleukin-6, TNF-alpha, soluble interleukin-2 receptors, interferon-alpha, interleukin 8, interleukin-10, hs-CRP, acute phase proteins, haptoglobin, toll like receptor 4, interleukin-1beta, mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, substance P, cyclooxygenase-2, prostaglandin-E2, lipid peroxidation levels and acid sphingomyelinase. Nutritional factors might influence depression risk, i.e. the consumption of folate, omega-3 fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, olive oil, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. The neurodegenerative hypothesis of depression explains decreased hippocampal volumes in depressed patients and changes of neurotrophic support by BDNF, erythropoietin, GDNF, FGF-2, NT3, NGF and growth hormone. In this context, a fast neuroprotective and antidepressant effect has also been observed by ketamine, which acts via the glutamatergic system. Hence, GABA, AMPA, EAAT, NMDA-and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1 to mGluR8) have gained interest in depression recently. Alternative, causative or also easy available treatment strategies beyond serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibition might be a major topic of future psychiatric care. In this review, an attempt is made to overview concepts of the disease and search for perspectives on antidepressant treatment strategies beyond approved medications.

Acta medica Medianae, 2017

As one of the most widespread illnesses today, depression has a big social and economical significance. Therefore, enormous efforts are made in getting deeper insights into its etiology and pathogenesis, which are still unknown to us. Owing to the fast technological development, neurosciences have started to develop intensively. Neuroimaging technologies and new sensitive laboratory tests enable the discovery of active molecules that take part in pathophysiological processes so that they can be considered as potential biomarkers. Although the biomarker which would be specific for depression has not been isolated yet, there are a lot of studies that confirm the existence of changes of the level of active substances in depressive patients with the regard to control ones. In this paper, we will take a look into potential biomarkers that ere in the centre of the research: the factors of growth, that is, brain-derived neurophic factor (BDNF), inflammatory and neuroendocrine biomarkers, as well as potential indicators of the oxidative and nitrosative stress. This kind of the possibility of the insight into biological bases of the depressive processes would enable new ranges in diagnostics, therapies and prognosis of this disorder and would contribute to the better quality of life of patients and their families.

European Journal of Pharmacology, 2019

 This article is one of the results of the doctoral thesis of Professor Gustavo Roberto Villas Boas, under the guidance of Professor Silvia Aparecida Oesterreich and and co-guidance from Professor Roseli Boerngen de Lacerda.

Synapse, 1991

The present review focuses on recent data from clinical and animal research concerning the biochemical bases of depressive disorders, diagnosis, and treatment. In addition to integrating these data, problems and future directions in this research are discussed. The review is presented in three parts. This study, Part I, describes diagnostic classification schemes for depressive disorders, some epidemiological and biological correlates of the classifications, and research techniques for investigating depressive disorders. Research techniques include animal models, human biochemical techniques, and Postron Emission Tomography. In a future issue, Part II will discuss various transmitter/receptor theories of depressive disorders, e.g., noradrenergic, serotonergic, cholinergic, and dopaminergic, GABAergic, and peptidergic theories. Also in a future issue, Part III will discuss treatments for depression and some of the controversies in the field.

2016

condition associated with high levels of disability and mortality. It has a neurobiological basis and is associated with functional and structural brain abnormalities. Sources of data: The data discussed have been obtained mainly from meta-

New England Journal of Medicine, 1988

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic, recurrent, and severe psychiatric disorder with high mortality and medical comorbidities. Stress-related pathways have been directly involved in the pathophysiology and treatment of MDD. The present paper provides an overview on the stress system as a model to understand key pathophysiological paradigms in MDD. These mechanisms involve behavioral, cognitive, and systemic manifestations and are also associated with the mechanisms of action of effective antidepressants. Aspects such as depression subtypes, inflammation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and prothrombotic states in critical brain circuits and periphery are critically appraised. Finally, new strategies for approaching treatment-resistant major depression and potential adverse effects associated with this complex and intricate network are highlighted. The authors used PubMed as the database for this review. Each author extracted relevant data and assessed the methodological quality of each study.

Synapse, 1992

The present document is the final of three parts of a review that focuses on recent data from clinical and animal research concerning the biochemical bases of depressive disorders, diagnosis, and treatment. Various treatments for depression, including psychotherapy, pharmacological, and somatic treatments, will be described in this third part. Also, some of the controversies in the field, as well as a summary of the most salient points of the review, will be discussed. Previous sections of this review dealt with the classification of depressive disorders and research techniques for studying the biochemical mechanisms of these disorders (Part I) and various transmitter/receptor theories of depressive disorder (Part II).

International Journal of Clinical Practice, 2007

has served on the Speaker's Bureau or has been a consultant for Eli Lilly and Company and Cephalon. He did not receive any financial compensation for his work on this manuscript. His co-authors are each employees and/or shareholders of Eli Lilly and Company. Re-use of this article is permitted in accordance with the Creative Commons Deed, Attribution 2.5, which does not permit commercial exploitation.