Original scientific paper

DEPRESSION, GENDER AND CELLULAR IMMUNITY: INFLUENCE OF GENDER AND SEVERITY OF DEPRESSION ON THE CELLULAR IMMUNITY

Manon Fagniart ; Université Catholique de Louvain, Psychosomatics Unit, Mont-Godinne University Hospital, Yvoir, Belgium
Christine Reynaert ; Université Catholique de Louvain, Psychosomatics Unit, Mont-Godinne University Hospital, Yvoir, Belgium
Denis Jacques ; Université Catholique de Louvain, Psychosomatics Unit, Mont-Godinne University Hospital, Yvoir, Belgium
Bries Lepièce ; Université Catholique de Louvain, Psychosomatics Unit, Mont-Godinne University Hospital, Yvoir, Belgium
Nicolas Zdanowicz ; Université Catholique de Louvain, Psychosomatics Unit, Mont-Godinne University Hospital, Yvoir, Belgium

Abstract

Background: Exposure to stress modifies the humoral and cellular immunity by the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal
axis. On one hand, this psycho-immunological theory allows the analyse of links between immunity and depression. On the
other hand, the correlation between the immune response, the clinical expression in major depressive disorder (MDD) and the
gender was proven. Our analysis evaluates the influence of the gender and the level of depression severity on the cellular immune
response associated with it.
Subjects and method: 549 patients with MDD were enrolled in an open-ended survey. In addition to a socio-demographic
questionnaire, they completed the Beck Depression Scale (BDS). Flow cytometry was used to assess lymphocyte subsets.
Results: On average, the intensity of the depression (ID) among women is higher by 2.9 points (t=2.379*). In terms of immunity,
there are correlations between this ID and absolute values of CD3 (r=-0.127***), CD4 (r=-0.189***), CD8 (r=0.089*) and CD16
and 56 (r=0.129*). In terms of gender, there are significant differences for the percentage of total lymphocytes (m=37.84, w=35.59;
t=2.646***), CD3 (m=2.08, w=1.9; t=2.676*), CD4 (m=1.44, w=1.3; t =2.522*), CD8 (m=0.62, w=0.57; t=2.182*). A linear
regression model including both variables supports the existence of these differences in the percentage of total lymphocytes
(Adjusted R2=0.025***) and CD8 (Adjusted R2=0.012*).
Conclusions: If the link between depression and the cellular immune response is a known fact, our study proves that women have
a stronger immune response than men in terms of percentage of total lymphocytes mobilized and cytotoxic lymphocytes. The volume
of natural killer lymphocytes is independent of the gender but connected to the ID. Based on those results, psycho-immunological
theories could potentially be rethought in the light of immunity being at least partially dependent of the gender.

Keywords

immunity; gender; depression

Hrčak ID:

264927

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/264927

Publication date:

30.8.2016.

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