LOWER TOTAL SERUM-PROTEIN, ALBUMIN, AND BETA-GLOBULIN AND GAMMA-GLOBULIN IN MAJOR AND TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION - EFFECTS OF ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENTS

Strong evidence has recently been reported that major depression is ac companied by an acute phase response (APR), characterized by elevated levels of positive acute phase proteins (APPs) and decreased levels of negative APPs. The APR is also reflected in lowered total serum prote in (TSP) and specific changes in the major electrophoretically separat ed protein fractions. The present study examined pretreatment and post treatment serum TSP and the concentrations and percentages of the majo r electrophoretically separated serum protein fractions in 37 major de pressed subjects, of whom 29 had treatment-resistant depression (TRD), and in 29 normal controls. We found that TSP and the percentage and c oncentration of serum albumin (Alb) and gamma-globulin fraction were s ignificantly lower in major depression and TRD than in normal controls . Serum beta-globulin concentrations were significantly lower in major depressed and TRD subjects than in normal controls, The percentages o f the alpha(1)- and alpha(2)-globulin fractions were significantly hig her in major depressed subjects than in normal controls. There were no significant effects of subchronic treatment with antidepressants on T SP, the percentage or concentration of the major electrophoretically s eparated protein fractions, i.e. alpha(1)-, alpha(2)- and beta-globuli n. There was a significant increase in percentage of the gamma-globuli n fraction after subchronic treatment with antidepressants. The result s support the hypothesis that major depression and TRD are accompanied by a chronic APR. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.