Evaluation of a screening method based on the"T-cell dysfunction" hypothesis of major depressive disorder.

采用实时荧光定量RT-PCR方法检测了43例抑郁症患者（27例未服药患者和16例服药患者）和43名年龄匹配的健康对照者外周血淋巴细胞载脂蛋白E受体2（ApoER 2）和极低密度脂蛋白受体（VLDLR）的mRNA水平。还检查了患者中两种受体的mRNA水平与临床变量之间的相关性。与对照组相比，无论药物治疗状态如何，患者的ApoER 2 mRNA表达均显著降低，但VLDLR表达无显著降低。ApoER 2 mRNA水平的降低与患者的任何临床变量之间均无统计学显著相关性。本研究结果提示ApoER 2的表达可能是抑郁症的一个特征性标志。

We measured the mRNA levels of apolipoprotein E receptor type 2 (ApoER2) and very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 43 patients with major depressive disorder (27 drug-free patients and 16 medicated patients) and 43 age-matched healthy controls using a quantitative real-time RT-PCR method. The correlations between mRNA levels of both receptors and clinical variables in patients were also examined. The expression of ApoER2 mRNA, but not VLDLR, was significantly lower in patients as compared to controls, irrespective of the medication status. There was nostatistically significant correlation between the reduction of ApoER2 mRNA levels and any of the clinical variables measured in patients. Results from this preliminary study suggest that the expression of ApoER2 may serve as a traitmarker for major depressive disorder.