Associations between serum estradiol and IL-6/sIL-6R/sgp130 complex in female patients with major depressive disorder

Abstract

Abstract Background It has been hypothesized that the IL-6/sIL-6R/sgp130 complex, an inflammatory complex, plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Estradiol (E2) is a sex steroid hormone involved in emotional regulation and MDD. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between E2 and IL-6/sIL-6R/sgp130 complex in patients with MDD. Methods Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the levels of IL-6, sIL-6Rα, and sgp130 were compared between 117 female patients with MDD and 122 healthy controls.The serum concentrations of E2 and other biomarkers were also measured. Results (1) The serum levels of IL-6 and sIL-6Rα in patients with MDD were significantly higher than those in the control group, while the serum levels of sgp130 and E2 were significantly lower (all P < 0.05). (2) Low levels of E2 were associated with high levels of IL-6 and low levels of sgp130 (all P < 0.01). (3) HAMD-24 score was positively correlated with the serum level of IL-6, but negatively correlated with the serum levels of sgp130 and E2(all P < 0.05). (4) IL-6 and sgp130 had certain prognostic values in MDD, and the combination of various indicators showed a significantly superior prognostic value. Conclusions The IL6/sIL-6R/sgp130 complex in female patients with MDD was closely related to E2 level. In addition, IL-6 and sgp130 may be valuable serum biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of MDD in women.

Keywords

• Major depressive disorder
• Estradiol
• Soluble glycoprotein 130
• Soluble interleukin-6 receptor α
• Interleukin-6