A correlation analysis on depression and anxiety and peripheral blood cell counts in heroin-dependent patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the relationship between depression and anxiety and peripheral blood cell counts ( white blood cell ( WBC) ,neutrophil ( NEU) ,lymphocyte ( LYM) ,red blood cell ( RBC) and hemoglobin ( HGB) ) of heroin?dependent patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment ( MMT) . Methods Two hundred and fifty?two MMT heroin addicts, who had received peripheral blood tests within the week prior to the study,were administered with a general information questionnaire,SDS and SAS. The results of blood tests of these patients were compared with those of 109 healthy people in physical examina?tion. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze associations between indicators of peripheral blood cell counts and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Results Compared with healthy controls,MMT patients had significantly higher proportions of elevated WBC(14.7%vs 3.7%),NEU(12.7% vs 2.8%) and LYM(9.9%vs 2.8%) counts (all P<0.05),and low RBC(10.3%vs 4.6%) counts and HGB(11.5%vs 4.6%) concentra?tion (both P<0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that blood cell counts of WBC ( β=0.261, P<0.01),NEU ( β=0.264, P<0.01),LYM ( β=0.196, P=0.003) and RBC ( β=-0.144, P=0.021) were independently associated with depression;and blood cell counts of WBC ( β=0.298, P<0.01) and LYM ( β=0.269, P<0.01) were independently associated with anxiety. Conclusion Improving the in?flammatory and malnutrition status may be helpful for reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms of MMT her?oin addicts.