The role of inflammation in depression: from pathogenesis to treatment response

Journal title PNEI REVIEW
Author/s Valentina Zonca, Annamaria Cattaneo
Publishing Year 2020 Issue 2020/1
Language Italian Pages 7 P. 54-60 File size 132 KB
DOI 10.3280/PNEI2020-001007
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In the last decades, research has demonstrated a higher activation of the immune system in patients affected by schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and anxiety. However, it is not clear whether these pathologies showed distinct inflammatory profiles and if these profiles could help to develop specially focused therapies. The efficacy of anti-inflammatory agents in the case of depression is inconsistent, and it shows evidence only in some subcategories of patients. In particular, anti-inflammatory drugs seem to significantly improve the depressive symptomatology in patients with high levels of plasma or serum inflammatory molecules. On the other hand, the efficacy of pharmacological therapies appears to correlate with a reduction in the level of inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, as shown by the Authors’ research group and by the GENDEP European project, specific inflammatory biomarkers could help to predict the efficacy of pharmacological therapies, identify whether patients will respond or not to the conventional treatment for depression and develop adjuvant therapies.

Keywords: Inflammation, Depression, Serotonin, Biomarkers, Psychiatry, Treatment- resistant depression.

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Valentina Zonca, Annamaria Cattaneo, Il ruolo dell’infiammazione nella depressione: dalla patogenesi alla risposta al trattamento in "PNEI REVIEW" 1/2020, pp 54-60, DOI: 10.3280/PNEI2020-001007