Low levels of transthyretin in the CSF of depressed patients

Citation
Gm. Sullivan et al., Low levels of transthyretin in the CSF of depressed patients, AM J PSYCHI, 156(5), 1999, pp. 710-715
Citations number
38
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry,"Clinical Psycology & Psychiatry","Neurosciences & Behavoir
Journal title
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
ISSN journal
0002953X → ACNP
Volume
156
Issue
5
Year of publication
1999
Pages
710 - 715
Database
ISI
SICI code
0002-953X(199905)156:5<710:LLOTIT>2.0.ZU;2-U
Abstract
Objective: Transthyretin plays an important role in the transport and distr ibution of thyroid hormone in the central nervous system (CNS). This study replicated and extended to patients with nonrefractory depressive illness a pilot study indicating that patients with refractory major depression have significantly lower levels of CSF transthyretin than do healthy comparison subjects. Method: Lumbar punctures were performed in drug-free subjects wi th DSM-III-R major depression (N=18), DSM-III-R bipolar disorder, depressed phase (N=1), and healthy comparison subjects (N=24). CSF concentrations of transthyretin, determined by a quantitative dot-immunobinding assay, of th e depressed patients and comparison subjects were compared by analysis of c ovariance (ANCOVA). The relationship between CSF transthyretin levels and H amilton Depression Rating Scale scores was determined in a subset of the de pressed patients. Results: CSF concentrations of transthyretin were signifi cantly lower in the depressed patients than in the comparison subjects by A NCOVA. Within the depressed group there was no significant overall correlat ion between CSF transthyretin levels and Hamilton depression scale scores, but there was a significant inverse correlation in male depressed patients (N=8) between CSF transthyretin concentrations and Hamilton depression scor es. Conclusions: Lower CSF transthyretin concentrations in depressed patien ts may reflect either a stable trait in this population or a state change s econdary to depression or other factors. Lower CSF transthyretin concentrat ions may result in altered CNS thyroid hormone homeostasis. Such alteration could account for certain mood and neurovegetative symptoms of depression and might contribute to failure of standard antidepressant treatment.