MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER AND IMMUNE FUNCTION

申请者一直在调查临床和临床之间的联系 抑郁和免疫力。这项研究得到了 NIMH小额赠款计划，1 R03 MH 37774-01MSMB，证明了 对T细胞和T依赖的B细胞有丝分裂原的反应以及绝对 用药后淋巴细胞、T、B细胞数量明显减少 免费住院的重度抑郁障碍患者比 显然是健康的配对对照组。我们还发现，一组较少的 患有重度抑郁障碍的门诊患者没有 有丝分裂原反应的变化，但确实有减少的数量 淋巴细胞和住院精神分裂症患者没有什么不同 在任何免疫措施上都与对照组相匹配。这些发现表明 抑郁症与免疫功能改变有关。建议数 研究将调查改变的免疫力是否仅限于该州 以及是否与疾病的严重程度有关。免疫 因此，将评估无药物患者的功能，包括轻度和 严重抑郁障碍与对照组的比较 抑郁症和临床缓解期。 对抑郁症免疫变化的研究可能会提供信息 关于抑郁状态下潜在的神经生物学过程。这个 免疫变化可能与其他生物系统有关，这些系统可以 影响淋巴细胞及其他免疫活性和免疫调节 细胞。神经内分泌功能，特别是皮质醇分泌 因此被调查与抑郁症患者的免疫力改变有关 病人。进一步阐明生物过程中可能存在的 抑郁症与免疫系统、免疫系统的综合研究 将进行，包括：抗原以及有丝分裂原反应， T非依赖性B细胞有丝分裂原反应、T辅助细胞数、T 抑制性和B淋巴细胞、自然杀伤细胞功能和吞噬细胞 活动。这些研究可能有助于阐明心力衰竭的病理生理机制。 抑郁状态表现为神经功能紊乱 神经递质、神经内分泌和免疫系统。对…的调查 抑郁症患者免疫系统的特异性改变及其临床意义 行为和神经生物学的相关性也可能提供生物学基础 用于对情感性疾病以及危险因素的精确诊断。 这一发现可能最终会提出干预策略和 抑郁症的治疗。

The applicants have been investigating associations between clinical depression and immunity. This research, which has been supported by the NIMH Small Grants Program, 1 R03 MH 37774-01MSMB, demonstrated that responses to T cell and T-dependent B cell mitogens as well as the absolute number of lymphocytes and T and B cells were significantly lower in drug free hospitalized patients with major depressive disorder than in apparently healthy matched controls. We also found that a group of less severely depressed outpatients with major depressive disorder had no changes in mitogen responses but did have a decrease in the number of lymphocytes and that hospitalized schizophrenics did not differ from matched controls on any of the immune measures. These findings suggest that depression is associated with altered immune function. The proposed research will investigate whether altered immunity is specific to the state of being depressed and if it is related to severity of the illness. Immune function will therefore be assessed in drug free patients with mild and severe depressive disorders compared with matched controls during depression and in clinical remission. Studies of alterations of immunity in depression may provide information about underlying neurobiological processes in depressive states. The immune changes may be related to other biological systems which can influence the lymphocyte and other immunocompetent and immunoregulatory cells. Neuroendocrine function and specifically cortisol secretion will therefore be investigated in relation to altered immunity in depressed patients. To further elucidate the biological processes which may link depression and the immune system, a comprehensive investigation of immunity will be undertaken, including: antigen as well as mitogen responses, T-independent B cell mitogen responses, numbers of T, T helper, T suppressor and B lymphocytes, natural killer cell function, and phagocyte activity. These studies may help to elucidate the pathophysiology of depressive states manifested in patterns of dysregulation of neurotransmitter, neuroendocrine and immune systems. The investigation of specific alterations in the immune system of depressives and their behavioral and neurobiological correlates may also provide a biologic basis for precise diagnosis of affective diseases as well as of risk factors. The findings may ultimately suggest strategies for intervention and treatment of depression.