Background: Apelin-13 have potential effect on mood because of high expression in the hypothalamus. In this study, we aimed to investigate the serum apelin-13 levels among adolescents with major depressive disorder.
Subject and methods: A total of 42 patients between the ages of 12 and 18 with a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder have been included. Depression scores of both groups were measured by the Children's Depression Inventory. Serum apelin-13 concentrations were measured by a commercially available kit based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.
Results: The mean serum apelin-13 levels in the patients with MDD was 173.08±106.33 pg/ml, whereas it was 251.75±167.82 pg/ml in healthy controls. The difference between groups in terms of mean serum apelin-13 levels was statistically significant (p=0.018, Cohen's d=-0.571).
Conclusion: This is the first study to examine the serum apelin-13 levels in adolescents diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Lower serum apelin-13 levels were found in depressed adolescents.