Are serum levels of inflammatory markers associated with the severity of symptoms of bipolar disorder?

BACKGROUND

To explore the relationship between serum levels of inflammatory markers and symptomatic severity of bipolar disorder (BD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 126 BD patients with current depressive episode (BDD), 102 BD patients with current mixed or (hypo)manic episode (BDM) and 94 healthy controls (HC). All participants were drug-naïve and had no current active physical illness associated with inflammatory response or history of substance abuse. Fasting serum levels of CRP, leptin (LEP), adiponectin (ADP), visfatin (VIS), TNF-α, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Symptomatic severity of BD was assessed with HAMD-17 and YMRS. Generalized linear model was used to determine the association between the serum levels of inflammatory markers and symptomatic severity of BD.

RESULTS

The serum levels of IL-6, IL-10 and IL-17, and the IL-6/IL-10 ratio were significantly lower in mild BDD than in HC. In moderate BDD, the serum levels of MCP, IL-6 and IL-17 were significantly lower than in HC. In severe BDD, the serum level of ADP, MCP-1, IL-10 and IL-17and the IL-17/IL-10 ratio were significantly lower than in HC. The serum levels of TNF-α and the IL-6/IL-10 ratio were significantly higher in mild BDM than in HC. In moderate BDM, the serum level of VIS, IL-2, and IL-17 were significantly higher than in HC, but the IL-6/IL-10 ratio was significantly lower than in control. In severe BDM, the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-17 and the ratios of IL-6/IL-10 and IL-17/IL-10 were significantly lower than in HC, but the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was significantly higher than in HC.

CONCLUSION

In BDD, immune-inhibition is persistently predominant, while in mild-to-moderate BDM, immune system is activated but inhibited in severe BDM. The dynamic change of serum inflammatory markers suggests that alteration of peripheral inflammatory markers in BD is state-dependent instead of trait-marked.

Serum and synovial fluid chemokine ligand 2/monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 concentrations correlates with symptomatic severity in patients with knee osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

Serum and synovial fluid (SF) chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2)/monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) concentrations have been identified to be increased in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. The scope of this study was to examine CCL2 concentrations in serum and SF of knee OA patients and to explore their association with patient-reported symptomatic severity.

METHOD

One hundred and sixty-one knee OA patients and 138 healthy controls were enrolled into the study from our hospital. We collected Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores from OA patients and measured CCL2 concentrations in serum and SF using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method, and correlation between WOMAC scores and CCL2 concentrations were analysed.

RESULTS

CCL2 concentrations in SF instead of serum were independently and positively associated with self-reported greater pain (r = 0.460, P < 0.001) and physical disability (r = 0.561, P < 0.001) in OA patients.

CONCLUSION

CCL2 in SF might serve as a novel and reliable biomarker for assessing symptomatic severity of OA.