Associations of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 with Depression in a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic

Maria Serra,1 Anna Presicci,2 Luigi Quaranta,3 Mariaclara Achille,4 Elvita Caputo,4 Silvia Medicamento,4 Francesco Margari,5 Federica Croce,5 Lucia Margari4 1Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy; 2Department of Neuroscience, Sense Organs and Loc...

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Main Authors: Serra M, Presicci A, Quaranta L, Achille M, Caputo E, Medicamento S, Margari F, Croce F, Margari L
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2022-06-01
Series:Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/associations-of-high-sensitivity-c-reactive-protein-and-interleukin-6--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NDT
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author Serra M
Presicci A
Quaranta L
Achille M
Caputo E
Medicamento S
Margari F
Croce F
Margari L
author_facet Serra M
Presicci A
Quaranta L
Achille M
Caputo E
Medicamento S
Margari F
Croce F
Margari L
author_sort Serra M
collection DOAJ
description Maria Serra,1 Anna Presicci,2 Luigi Quaranta,3 Mariaclara Achille,4 Elvita Caputo,4 Silvia Medicamento,4 Francesco Margari,5 Federica Croce,5 Lucia Margari4 1Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy; 2Department of Neuroscience, Sense Organs and Locomotor System, University Hospital “Policlinico”, Bari, Italy; 3Department of Computer Science, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy; 4Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy; 5Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sensory Organs, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, ItalyCorrespondence: Maria Serra, Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via Edoardo Orabona 4, Bari, 70125, Italy, Tel +39 080 5592829, Fax +39 080 5595260, Email maria.serra.13@gmail.comIntroduction: Many studies highlighted the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of depression, although not for every patient nor for every symptom. It is widely shared that stressors can increase inflammation and lead to depressive symptoms. Little is known about the symptom-specificity of the inflammation-depression link in adolescence, which we aimed to explore. The single symptom analysis is a core feature of the recent network approach to depression, supposing that psychiatric disorders consist of co-occurring symptoms and their tendency to cause each other.Patients and Methods: We recruited 52 adolescents diagnosed with a Depressive Disorder during the COVID-19 stressful period. We used regression analysis to measure associations between high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and depressive symptoms assessed by the Children’s Depression Inventory 2 (CDI 2). For the study of symptom specificity, we selected 13 items from the CDI 2 Self Report corresponding with the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder and we coded them as dichotomous variables to perform a regression analysis.Results: We found that a higher CDI 2-Parent Version total score was significantly predicted by higher hs-CRP (coefficient 3.393; p 0.0128) and IL-6 (coefficient 3.128; p 0.0398). The endorsement of the symptom self-hatred, measuring the DSM-5 symptom “feelings of worthlessness”, was significantly predicted by hs-CRP (OR 10.97; 95% CI 1.29– 93.08; p 0.0282).Conclusion: A novel symptom-specificity emerged, with hs-CRP significantly predicting the endorsement of the symptom self-hatred, recognized as a core feature of adolescent depression, following the network theory. We considered it a possible phenotypic expression of one depression endophenotype previously causally linked to inflammation. Due to the limited sample size, these preliminary findings require confirmation with future research focusing on the relationship between inflammation and self-hatred and other central nodes of the depression network, representing an opportunity for targeting interventions on crucial symptoms.Keywords: endophenotype, inflammation, network, self-hatred, stress
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spelling doaj.art-c90758315c3e4542bd1275069f8888822022-12-22T02:42:39ZengDove Medical PressNeuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment1178-20212022-06-01Volume 181287129776226Associations of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 with Depression in a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 PandemicSerra MPresicci AQuaranta LAchille MCaputo EMedicamento SMargari FCroce FMargari LMaria Serra,1 Anna Presicci,2 Luigi Quaranta,3 Mariaclara Achille,4 Elvita Caputo,4 Silvia Medicamento,4 Francesco Margari,5 Federica Croce,5 Lucia Margari4 1Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy; 2Department of Neuroscience, Sense Organs and Locomotor System, University Hospital “Policlinico”, Bari, Italy; 3Department of Computer Science, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy; 4Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy; 5Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sensory Organs, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, ItalyCorrespondence: Maria Serra, Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via Edoardo Orabona 4, Bari, 70125, Italy, Tel +39 080 5592829, Fax +39 080 5595260, Email maria.serra.13@gmail.comIntroduction: Many studies highlighted the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of depression, although not for every patient nor for every symptom. It is widely shared that stressors can increase inflammation and lead to depressive symptoms. Little is known about the symptom-specificity of the inflammation-depression link in adolescence, which we aimed to explore. The single symptom analysis is a core feature of the recent network approach to depression, supposing that psychiatric disorders consist of co-occurring symptoms and their tendency to cause each other.Patients and Methods: We recruited 52 adolescents diagnosed with a Depressive Disorder during the COVID-19 stressful period. We used regression analysis to measure associations between high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and depressive symptoms assessed by the Children’s Depression Inventory 2 (CDI 2). For the study of symptom specificity, we selected 13 items from the CDI 2 Self Report corresponding with the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder and we coded them as dichotomous variables to perform a regression analysis.Results: We found that a higher CDI 2-Parent Version total score was significantly predicted by higher hs-CRP (coefficient 3.393; p 0.0128) and IL-6 (coefficient 3.128; p 0.0398). The endorsement of the symptom self-hatred, measuring the DSM-5 symptom “feelings of worthlessness”, was significantly predicted by hs-CRP (OR 10.97; 95% CI 1.29– 93.08; p 0.0282).Conclusion: A novel symptom-specificity emerged, with hs-CRP significantly predicting the endorsement of the symptom self-hatred, recognized as a core feature of adolescent depression, following the network theory. We considered it a possible phenotypic expression of one depression endophenotype previously causally linked to inflammation. Due to the limited sample size, these preliminary findings require confirmation with future research focusing on the relationship between inflammation and self-hatred and other central nodes of the depression network, representing an opportunity for targeting interventions on crucial symptoms.Keywords: endophenotype, inflammation, network, self-hatred, stresshttps://www.dovepress.com/associations-of-high-sensitivity-c-reactive-protein-and-interleukin-6--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NDTendophenotypeinflammationnetworkself-hatredstress
spellingShingle Serra M
Presicci A
Quaranta L
Achille M
Caputo E
Medicamento S
Margari F
Croce F
Margari L
Associations of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 with Depression in a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
endophenotype
inflammation
network
self-hatred
stress
title Associations of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 with Depression in a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic
title_full Associations of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 with Depression in a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic
title_fullStr Associations of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 with Depression in a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic
title_full_unstemmed Associations of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 with Depression in a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic
title_short Associations of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 with Depression in a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic
title_sort associations of high sensitivity c reactive protein and interleukin 6 with depression in a sample of italian adolescents during covid 19 pandemic
topic endophenotype
inflammation
network
self-hatred
stress
url https://www.dovepress.com/associations-of-high-sensitivity-c-reactive-protein-and-interleukin-6--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NDT
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