Serum NLRP3 Inflammasome and BDNF: Potential Biomarkers Differentiating Reactive and Endogenous Depression

Xin-Jing Yang; Bing-Cong Zhao; Jing Li; Chuan Shi; Yu-Qing Song; Xing-Zhou Gao; Hui-Li Jiang; Qiu-Yun Yu; Xing-Chen Liang; Shi-Xing Feng; Xiang Li; Yang Sun; Ya-Huan Li; Yang-Peng Wang; Tuya Bao; Zhang-Jin Zhang

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.814828

Serum NLRP3 Inflammasome and BDNF: Potential Biomarkers Differentiating Reactive and Endogenous Depression

Front Psychiatry. 2022 Feb 28:13:814828. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.814828. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Xin-Jing Yang^{1

2}, Bing-Cong Zhao³, Jing Li⁴, Chuan Shi⁵, Yu-Qing Song⁶, Xing-Zhou Gao⁷, Hui-Li Jiang⁷, Qiu-Yun Yu⁸, Xing-Chen Liang⁹, Shi-Xing Feng¹⁰, Xiang Li⁷, Yang Sun⁷, Ya-Huan Li⁷, Yang-Peng Wang¹¹, Tuya Bao⁷, Zhang-Jin Zhang²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, South China Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
² School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
³ Beijing Key Laboratory of Acupuncture Neuromodulation, Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
⁴ Center on Aging Psychology Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁵ Psychological Assessment Center, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China.
⁶ Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China.
⁷ School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
⁸ The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
⁹ Bei Tai Ping Zhuang Community Health Service Center, Beijing, China.
¹⁰ Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
¹¹ College of Management, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.

Abstract

Background: The highly heterogeneous pathogenesis of depression and limited response to current antidepressants call for more objective evidence for depression subtypes. Reactive and endogenous depression are two etiologically distinct subtypes associated with different treatment responses. This study aims to explore the potential biomarkers that differentiate reactive and endogenous depressions.

Methods: The clinical manifestations and biological indicators of 64 unmedicated mild-to-moderate depression patients (32 reactive depression patients and 32 endogenous depression patients) and 21 healthy subjects were observed. The 24-item Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD-24) was used to evaluate the severity of depression. Serum levels of depression-related biological indicators were measured by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: The NLRP3 level of reactive depression was significantly lower than those of endogenous depression and healthy controls. There was a significant negative correlation between the BDNF level and the HAMD-24 total scores for patients with reactive depression.

Conclusion: Our findings suggested the serum NLRP3 and BDNF levels could be potential biomarkers for detecting and evaluating the severity of reactive depression.

Keywords: NOD-like receptor family protein 3 (NLRP3); brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); endogenous depression; mild-to-moderate depression; reactive depression.