Relationships of oxidative stress, inflammation and gut microbiota with cognitive impairment in first-episode major depressive disorders: a pilot study in China
The research showed that the GM and their predicted metabolic pathways in patients with MDD were closely related to cognitive function and peripheral blood indicators, and that differences in these factors may manifest as oxidative stress and inflammation.
Abstract
Objective Cognitive impairment runs through the entire course of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the relationships between cognitive impairment and the gut microbiota (GM) and their predicted metabolic pathways as well as peripheral blood indicators remains unclear. We aimed to explore these relationships. Method Patients (n = 61) and healthy controls (HCs, n = 84) were enrolled. Our analyses were performed using data from the Hamilton Depression Scale, cognitive function (MATRICS™ Consensus Cognitive Battery [MCCB]), the GM and their predicted metabolic pathways, and peripheral blood indicators, including homocysteine (Hcy), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Results In comparison with HCs, patients with MDD exhibited significant cognitive impairment, elevated SOD levels, enrichment of specific GM, and upregulation of microbial predicted metabolic pathways involving L-alanine, pyruvate, and salicortin. In patients with MDD, the salicortin biosynthesis pathway and pathways related to L-alanine metabolism were negatively correlated with the levels of Hcy and CRP, respectively, while the superpathway of de novo pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotide biosynthesis was positively correlated with the SOD levels. The abundance of Blautia_caecimuris and Dysosmobacter_sp._NSJ-60 was positively correlated with the scores for processing speed and attention/vigilance domain, while the abundance of Enterocloster_aldenensis was negatively correlated with the score for working memory. Moreover, the 6-gingerol analog biosynthesis pathway was negatively correlated with the score for processing speed. Conclusion Our research showed that the GM and their predicted metabolic pathways in patients with MDD were closely related to cognitive function and peripheral blood indicators, and that differences in these factors may manifest as oxidative stress and inflammation.
Evidence is presented that peripheral NIMETOX pathways may lead to neuroinflammation, microglial activation, and neuronal damage and that increased lipid load impairs these central pathways, as well as evidence that peripheral NIMETOX pathways may lead to neuroinflammation, microglial activation, and neuronal damage.
Michael Maes, A. Almulla, Drozdstoj Stoyanov et al.· Cellular & Molecular Immunol...· 0 citations
OBJECTIVES
The underlying mechanism of major depressive disorder (MDD) with eating disorder (ED) remains unclear. We aim to clarify the characteristic changes of THs and brain neurometabolic alterations in ED, and to explore their relationships.
METHODS
The study included 28 individuals with MDD and ED, 81 individuals with MDD without ED, and 37 age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Serum TH levels were assessed, and 1H proton magnetic spectroscopy was utilized to determine the N-acetylaspartic acid to creatine (NAA/Cr) and choline-containing compounds to creatine ratios in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and thalamus. Subsequently, differential analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to explore their characteristics and interrelationships.
RESULTS
In both MDD with ED and MDD without ED cohorts, free tri-iodothyronine (FT3) levels were significantly lower compared to HCs, whereas free thyroxine (FT4) and total thyroxine (TT4) levels were elevated. Significantly lower NAA/Cr ratios were observed in the right thalamus and higher NAA/Cr ratios in the left cerebellum in both MDD with ED and MDD without ED compared to HCs. Neurometabolic factors and THs levels achieved an ROC curve area of 0.830 in differentiating MDD with ED from MDD without ED. In addition, serum FT3 and TT4 levels showed a positive correlation with NAA/Cr in the eft cerebellum in cases of MDD with ED.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings reveal concurrent thyroid hormone irregularities and neurometabolic changes in the thalamic-cerebellum circuitry in MDD with ED, providing preliminary insights into the neurobiology of abnormal eating behaviors in depression. Given the cross-sectional design, these results are exploratory and require validation. Level of evidence Level IV, cross-sectional study.
Yangyu Wu, Qilin Zhong, Jianzhao Zhang et al.· Eating and Weight Disorders· 0 citations
Inflammation contributes to MDD in some patients, but single-marker diagnosis and routine anti-inflammatory treatment are not currently justified, and biomarker-stratified trials are needed to develop precision therapies.
Emilia Włoszek, Bartosz Mikołajek, Anita Godlewska et al.· African Journal of Biomedica...· 0 citations
HS-CRP shows potential as an adjunct inflammatory marker in assessing depression and IL-1β demonstrated poor performance, while composite biomarker approach combined with clinical tools should enhance diagnostic and treatment strategies.
Aiusha Mawlong, Rinchen D. Bhutia, S. S. Bhandari et al.· Indian Journal of Biochemist...· 0 citations
Background Alterations in the gut microbiota have been associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the relationship between MDD and gut microbial communities remains incompletely understood. Most previous studies have primarily focused on gut bacteria, with relatively limited attention to other microbial components. Methods In this study, we analyzed gut microbial profiles from 36 patients with MDD and 36 healthy controls using metagenomic sequencing data. The MaAsLin2 algorithm was applied to identify potential microbial biomarkers associated with MDD. Results A total of 6 bacterial biomarkers and 7 viral biomarkers were identified. The models based on these features demonstrated strong predictive performance, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.891 for bacteria and 0.878 for viruses. Notably, the combined bacterial-viral model achieved an AUC of 0.946. These findings were further evaluated through external testing in two unrelated research cohorts. In the Shanxi cohort, the AUC values were 0.825 (bacteria), 0.803 (viruses), and 0.972 (combined model). In the Wuhan cohort, the AUC values were 0.683 (bacteria), 0.693 (viruses), and 0.784 (combined model). Conclusion In summary, our results highlight the potential of gut bacterial and viral biomarkers as candidate biomarkers and potential auxiliary tools for MDD assessment and suggest that integrating multi-domain microbial features may improve prediction accuracy.
Xuan Wang, Wei Chen, Hanlin Zhang et al.· Frontiers in Cellular and In...· 0 citations
Although PA level was not significantly associated with overall gut microbial diversity in college students with SD, it was closely associated with the differential distribution of specific functional genera, closely associated with the differential distribution of specific functional genera.
Meihua Su, Jiahui Jin, Fengxun Lin et al.· Frontiers in Microbiology· 0 citations
