Relationship of sleep disorder with plasma interleukin-2 and soluble interleukine-2 receptor in patients with depression

Fusheng QI; Fujun JIA; Xinsheng GUO; Hengfen LI

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

As indicated by experiments on animal, cytokine has regulatory effects on sleep. Clinical research has found abnormal level of cytokine in patients with depression. Sleep rhythm disorder is a common symptom of depression; however, the relationship between cytokine and sleep has hardly been conducted at home and abroad.

OBJECTIVE:

To explore the relationship between abnormal level of cytokine and clinical characteristics of sleep disorder so as to provide theoretical basis for early intervention and functional detection of sleep disorder in patients with depression.

DESIGN:

A case-controlled study using the patients with depression as the subjects and normal persons as the controls.

SETTING:

Two wards of the Department of Psychiatry of a university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS:

The study was completed in the Department of Psychiatry, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College. The subjects in this study were divided into depression group and control group. The patients in depression group were hospitalized in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College from September 2001 to December 2001. Inclusion International Classification of Diseases(10th edition) and Chinese Classifiliver function, electrocardiography and kidney function examination were quilizer or lithium salt were used in the past year; had the history of alcohol Had endocrine, heart, liver and kidney diseases and other serious somatic diseases. The 35 patients who met the above criteria were 14 males and 21females aged from 18 to 60 years with the average age of(36 ± 12) years in the depression group. In the control group there were 13 males and 17 females aged from 19 to 60 years with the average age of(34 ± 10)years.

METHODS:

The levels of plasma interleukin-2(IL-2) and solute interleukin-2 receptor(sIL-2R) were detected with enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay.disorder in patients with depression.

RESULTS:

The level of plasma IL-2 in the depression group(77.92± 36.85) pg/L was lower than that of the normal control group (98.98± 30. 72 ) pg/L( t = 2. 446, P ＜ 0.05). Moreover, IL-2 level was positively correlated to depth of sleep level( r = 0. 364, P ＜ 0. 05) . No significant difference in sIL-2R level was found between the two groups( P ＞ 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

The development of sleep disorder in patients with depression may be related with the level of cytokine, and the decrease of IL-2level can be the neurobiological basis of sleep level in depression.