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Background: Previous studies revealed that the immune responses of depressed patients can be affected by alteration of immune system factors; however, the immune genes mainly influenced are yet to be fully understood. Therefore, the main aim of present study was to identify serum levels of drastic inflammatory cytokines including IL-17A, IL-12, and IL-6 as well as anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-10 and TGF-β, amongst Iranian depressed medical students.
Methods: Peripheral blood specimens were collected from 38 Iranian medical student patients with moderate and severe depression along with 43 healthy students as control subjects. The serum levels of IL-17A, IL-12, IL-6, IL-10, and TGF-β were assessed using the ELISA technique.
Results: Our results showed that the serum IL-10 level was significantly (p = 0.011) decreased in depressed patients (2.8 ± 0.41 pg/mL) compared to healthy controls (4.3 ± 0.4 pg/mL). The results also revealed that serum levels of TGF-β were significantly increased in severely (12.75 ± 5.22) compared to moderately (5.3 ± 0.7) depressed patients (p = 0.045).
Conclusions: According to the results of the present study, the decreased IL-10 level in the depressed patients may be responsible for the induction of inflammation in Iranian depressed patients. Additionally, increased serum levels of TGF-β in severely compared to moderately depressed patients may be related to normal immune responses against inflammation in severely depressed patients.
DOI: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2013.130238
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