The following article requires a subscription:



(Format: HTML, PDF)

Objective: To assess the serum levels of interleukin 1[beta] (IL-1[beta]) in elderly depressed patients in comparison with nondepressed healthy elderly subjects.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Tertiary memory clinic.

Participants: Twenty-three antidepressant-free elderly depressed patients and 44 nondepressed healthy elderly comparison group were enrolled to this study.

Measurement: Serum IL-1[beta] levels were determined with highly sensitive colorimetric sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Severity of the depressive episode was determined by scores on the Hamilton Depression Scale-21 item and cognitive performance by the scores on the Cambridge Cognition Examination, Mini Mental State Examination clock drawing test, and verbal fluency.

Results: IL-1[beta] serum levels were increased in elderly patients versus nondepressed elderly (t = 2.21, df = 65, p = 0.04). After categorizing elderly depressed subjects into late onset (LOD) versus early onset (EOD), patients with EOD had the highest IL-1[beta] levels, when compared with nondepressed elderly patients and patients with LOD in analysis of variance (F = 4.9, df = 2, 64, p <0.01).

Conclusions: Late-life depression is associated with higher IL-1[beta] levels suggesting that increased proinflammatory state may play a role in the physiopathology of depression in the elderly. The authors further show that this might be more prominent in those patients with EOD geriatric depression.

Copyright (C) 2010 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry