Publicaciones científicas

Lymphocyte subsets and lymphokine production in patients with melancholic versus nonmelancholic depression

30-oct-2004 | Revista: Psychiatry Research

Schlatter J, Ortuño F, Cervera-Enguix S.


Several studies have reported immune changes during depression, but the results have not been fully consistent. Some of these changes could be related to the presence of melancholic features. A total of 42 depressed patients (melancholic [MEL] and nonmelancholic [non-MEL]) and 20 healthy controls participated in the study.

We detected a higher CD4+ lymphocyte subset in MEL patients than in controls during the depressive state, which disappeared after clinical remission. We also found an increase in interleukin-2 (IL-2) production both in MEL and non-MEL patients, but these values did not differ from control values after clinical remission.

Some of these changes may be related to the melancholic characteristics of depression.

CITA DEL ARTÍCULO Psychiatry Res. 2004 Oct 30;128(3):259-65