ABSTRACT
A total of 26 patients with depression and 20 healthy subjects were studied. Measures of apoptosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes and serum cortisol concentrations were determined. A significant increase in lymphocyte apoptosis was found in patients with depression, resulting in an increase in the proportion of lymphocytes expressing the FAS receptor; cells with morphological signs characteristic of apoptosis (nuclear condensation, vacuolization) were also seen. Changes in cellular immunity were observed on the background of clinical depressive symptomatology, with decreases in the total numbers of T-lymphocytes (CD3(+)), T-helpers (CD4(+)), and natural killer cells (CD16(+)) as compared with numbers in healthy subjects. Serum cortisol levels were elevated. Correlation analysis revealed an interaction between high cortisol levels and decreases in T-helper cells (CD4(+)) and increases in apoptosis receptor expression in patients with depressive disorder.
Subject(s)
Apoptosis/immunology , Depressive Disorder/immunology , Hydrocortisone/blood , Lymphocytes/immunology , fas Receptor/metabolism , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Depressive Disorder/blood , Depressive Disorder/metabolism , Female , Humans , Lymphocyte Subsets/cytology , Lymphocyte Subsets/metabolism , Lymphocytes/cytology , Lymphocytes/metabolism , Male , Middle Aged , Reference ValuesABSTRACT
A comprehensive evaluation of biological indices has been carried out in 26 patients with depressive disorders and in 20 age- and sex-matched controls. Indices of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in subpopulations of blood lymphocytes and concentration of cortisone in blood serum were determined. Significantly enhanced apoptosis was observed in the lymphocytes of depressive patients as shown by increased percentage of lymphocytes expressing FAS-receptor and cells with morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis (nuclear condensation, vacuolation. Clinical symptoms of depression were concomitant with alterations of cellular link of immunity expressing in the decrease of the total T-lymphocytes (CD3+) number, T-helpers (CD4+) and natural killers (CD16+) as compared to healthy persons. The level of blood serum cortisone was increased in patients with depression. High cortisone values correlated with suppression of cellular CD4+ population and an increase of FAS-receptors expression in patients with depression.