The following is a summary of “Peripheral inflammatory markers in melancholic versus non-melancholic depression,” published in the January 2024 issue of Endocrinology by Bayes, et al.

A lot of research has shown that peripheral inflammation is linked to major depression. Still, not many studies have looked at whether inflammatory profiles are different for different types of depression. For a study, researchers sought to look at peripheral inflammatory markers in healthy people, people with melancholic depression, and people without melancholic depression. Based on the physician’s description and the Sydney melancholy Prototypic Index (SMPI), 80 outpatients who had a current major depressive episode (MDE) were put into two groups: those with a melancholy depressive subtype and those without one. 

Blood from the participants’ peripheral veins was used to compare plasma levels of cytokines and other inflammatory markers (CRP, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, plasma cytokines) between the two patient groups and also between the two patient groups and a group of 81 healthy controls their age. When compared to controls, people with melancholic and non-melancholic sadness had higher levels of CRP and lower levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels were higher in melancholic patients compared to non-melancholic patients and the control group. 

There were no changes found between the groups for the other inflammation markers that were tested. The study results show that changes in inflammation markers (CRP and IFN-γ) and rises in IL-12 and IL-10 levels are common in people with major depressive disorder. Their findings about peripheral inflammation in melancholic sadness were mostly in line with what other researchers have found. They showed that this group of people may benefit from anti-inflammatory treatments, but more research was needed to confirm the results.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453023003967