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Depression and reduced natural killer cytotoxicity: a longitudinal study of depressed patients and control subjects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Michael Irwin ,
Ute Lacher  and
Cindy Caldwell
Michael Irwin*
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, San Diego Veterans' Affairs Medical Center and University of California, USA
Ute Lacher
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, San Diego Veterans' Affairs Medical Center and University of California, USA
Cindy Caldwell
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, San Diego Veterans' Affairs Medical Center and University of California, USA
*
1 Address for correspondence: Dr M. Irwin, Department of Psychiatry (V-116A), San Diego Veterans' Affairs Medical Center, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
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Synopsis

Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that natural killer (NK) cell activity is reduced in depression. To extend these observations and examine further the association between severity of depressive symptoms and values of NK activity, this study used a longitudinal case control design and assessed NK cytotoxicity at intake and at follow-up 6 months after discharge from the hospital in depressed patients and control subjects. From acute hospitalization to follow-up, depression scores significantly (P < 0·01) decreased following treatment in the depressed patients but did not change in the control subjects. NK activity significantly (P < 0·05) increased from intake to follow-up in the depressives while lytic activity did not change in the controls. At intake NK activity was significantly (P < 0·01) reduced in the depressed patients as compared to values in the controls, while at follow-up cytotoxicity was similar between the two groups. These longitudinal data suggest that a reduction of NK cytotoxicity is temporally associated with the state of acute depression.

Type
Brief Communication
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , November 1992 , pp. 1045 - 1050
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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