Brain, behavior, & immunity - health最新文献

{"title":"Perceived stress precedes declines in Well-being: A prospective study of stress, well-being, hair cortisol, and low-grade inflammation in hospital employees","authors":"Monica T. Jones ,&nbsp;Rachael A. Cronin ,&nbsp;Mathew D. Marques ,&nbsp;Matthias Weigl ,&nbsp;Nicolas Rohleder ,&nbsp;Linda Becker ,&nbsp;Helena C. Kaltenegger ,&nbsp;Bradley J. Wright","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101158","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101158","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Chronic low-grade inflammation may help explain the relationship between stress, well-being, and disease, but the pathway and temporal order have not yet been tested prospectively. To understand the pathways between perceived stress, well-being, C-reactive protein, and hair cortisol, we investigated the temporal ordering of these variables in a sample of hospital employees.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Random-intercepts cross-lagged panel models were conducted using three 6-monthly waves of data collected from new employees at a German hospital (<em>N</em> = 296, 77.7 % female, M age = 28.59) in a prospective cohort study. Self-reported data on perceived stress and well-being, hair strands for hair cortisol concentration, and capillary blood samples for C-reactive protein were collected for analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>While our study did not support a causal relationship between changes in stress levels and later changes in either hair cortisol or low-grade inflammation, we provide evidence to suggest that increases in perceived stress led to later decreases in well-being. In contrast, changes in well-being did not predict changes in perceived stress levels.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This is the first prospective repeated-measure study to examine the temporal associations between stress, well-being, hair cortisol concentrations, and chronic low-grade inflammation. Our analyses suggest that perceived stress in this sample precedes changes in well-being, highlighting the importance of prevention and early intervention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101158"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145798680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Accelerated Theta Burst Stimulation Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (iTBS-TMS) Pururauka program for severe depressive episode and suicide ideation","authors":"Hesed Virto-Farfan ,&nbsp;Carlos Virto ,&nbsp;Gustavo E. Tafet","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101154","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101154","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>The <em>Pururauka</em> protocol is an accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) paradigm designed to rapidly reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in individuals with severe major depressive episodes. This study evaluated its clinical effects in patients presenting with insufficient response to at least two prior pharmacological treatments, current suicidal ideation, and more than two previous suicide attempts.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Thirty-six adults with non-psychotic major depressive disorder (ICD-11) and HAM-D-17 scores &gt;20 received a five-day accelerated iTBS intervention (180,000 pulses total) targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the HAM-D and MADRS at baseline, daily during treatment, and at 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups. Suicidal ideation was evaluated with HAM-D item 3 across the same time points. Satisfaction was measured with a visual analogue scale (VAS). Safety assessments included EEG screening and neuropsychiatric evaluations. Ethical approval was obtained from the Andean University of Cusco Ethics Committee (INFORME 023-2024-CIEI-UAC).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Mean HAM-D scores decreased from 38.89 at baseline to 13.61 at day 5 and 12.36 at six months (p &lt; 0.001). Suicidal ideation resolved in most participants by day 3 and remained minimal or absent during follow-up. MADRS scores showed similar patterns, with 68 % of participants presenting no depressive symptoms immediately after treatment. No serious adverse events occurred, and satisfaction scores remained high throughout the protocol.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The <em>Pururauka</em> accelerated iTBS protocol was associated with rapid and sustained reductions in depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in individuals with severe depressive episodes and insufficient response to previous medications. These preliminary findings warrant confirmation in future randomized controlled trials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101154"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145712146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Peripheral immune system activity in young psychiatry patients","authors":"Lennart Seizer ,&nbsp;Johanna Löchner ,&nbsp;Tobias J. Renner","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101143","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101143","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The interaction between the immune system and the central nervous system has been implicated in the development of psychiatric disorders in adult patients. However, comprehensive data regarding pediatric psychiatry are still lacking. This study aims to describe the distributions of various markers of immune system activity in a large clinical sample of children and adolescents and summarize the immunological profiles associated with different psychiatric disorders. We analyzed blood samples from 1543 patients aged 6–18 years (62 % female), admitted to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University Hospital of Tübingen between 2014 and 2024. Immune markers such as C-reactive protein and various cell counts and ratios were measured and regressed on psychiatric diagnoses according to the ICD-10 classification. Our findings revealed several distinct immunological profiles linked to specific psychiatric conditions in youth, such as higher CRP levels in patients with severe stress and adjustment disorders. The study underscores the potential role that immune system aberrations may play in mental health disorders and highlights the importance of investigating this link in this age group. However, some inconsistencies with the existing literature were found, such as the lack of association between depression and immune activity, which calls for further research to elucidate these relationships. Future studies should include longitudinal designs to better understand the causal pathways and potential for immune-targeted therapies in pediatric psychiatry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101143"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145941060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychological distress predicts disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease: Results from the mind-body IBD longitudinal study","authors":"Natasha Seaton ,&nbsp;Joanna L. Hudson ,&nbsp;Valeria Mondelli ,&nbsp;Leah Raymond ,&nbsp;Pooja Schmill ,&nbsp;Ailsa Hart ,&nbsp;Rona Moss-Morris","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101147","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background &amp; aims</h3><div>Psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress) is common in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is linked to poorer outcomes, yet behavioural pathways and economic consequences remain unclear. This study tested a gut-brain-behaviour-outcome (GBBO) framework, testing: 1) reciprocal links between distress and disease activity; 2) whether health behaviours mediate distress-disease activity relationships; 3) if distress and self-reported disease activity (SRDA) predict adverse disease outcomes, controlling for inflammation and 4) whether disease activity mediates relationships between distress and adverse outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>IBD patients (n = 157) reported distress, health behaviours, SRDA, healthcare use and disease-related outcomes at 3 waves at 6-month intervals. Faecal calprotectin (FCP) was assayed at baseline and 6 months. Analyses were conducted using structural equation modelling and mixed-effects models.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Baseline distress predicted higher SRDA six months later (β = 0.16, <em>p=.</em>03) but did not predict FCP; reverse pathways were nonsignificant. Impaired sleep quality mediated 55 % of the effect of distress on future SRDA (β = 0.09, <em>p=.</em>04). Other behaviours were nonsignificant. Controlling for FCP, distress and SRDA independently predicted secondary healthcare usage (primary/secondary care) and disease-related outcomes (flare frequency/severity, absenteeism and productivity loss). FCP was positively related to flare frequency/severity and allied health practitioner visits only. Mediation analysis showed that SRDA partially mediated absenteeism.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Psychological distress exacerbates symptoms and economic cost. Poor sleep partially mediates the relationship between distress and SRDA, but not inflammation. Psychological interventions that focus on improving sleep could be cost-effective ways to improve mental health and symptom burden, with downstream impact on healthcare utilisation and productivity losses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101147"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145746985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inflammatory profiles of transdiagnostic symptom dimensions in healthy females","authors":"Alicia J. Smith ,&nbsp;Stacey Kigar ,&nbsp;Quentin Dercon ,&nbsp;Mary-Ellen Lynall ,&nbsp;Konstantinos Ioannidis ,&nbsp;Muzaffer Kaser ,&nbsp;Caitlin Hitchcock ,&nbsp;Tim Dalgleish ,&nbsp;Camilla L. Nord","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101146","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Background&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Psychiatric disorders are increasingly conceptualised as heterogeneous categories with transdiagnostic underlying mechanisms that cut across multiple diagnoses and vary within a single diagnosis. Inflammation induced by psychosocial stress is one particularly potent example: previous research suggests that inflammatory profiles may correspond to symptom subgroups rather than traditional diagnostic categories. However, robust identification of transdiagnostic symptoms linked to specific inflammatory profiles remains rare. In this study, we examined the relationship between inflammatory profiles (at baseline and after a stress induction) and transdiagnostic symptom dimensions in females, who show higher prevalence of stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;A modest but relatively homogenous healthy female sample, between the ages of 18 and 35, was recruited (N = 26). We obtained venous blood samples, at baseline and after a combined physiological and social stress induction, to measure full blood counts, plasma cytokines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs; for cell stimulation and intracellular flow cytometry analysis). Participants completed a battery of psychiatric self-report questions, from which we modelled three transdiagnostic factor scores. Finally, we used Bayesian regressions to evaluate the predictive contribution of transdiagnostic factors to inflammatory markers (at baseline and stress-induced), as well as to the principal components of inflammatory measures (derived from a principal component analysis (PCA) of the inflammatory data).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;We identified specific relationships between inflammatory profiles and transdiagnostic symptom dimensions. Higher scores on a ‘social withdrawal’ factor were associated with greater baseline neutrophil (95 % highest density interval (HDI) = [0.06, 1.32]; BF&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; = 2.92) and monocyte counts (95 % HDI = [0.29, 1.46]; BF&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; = 19.08), whereas higher ‘anxious-depression’ scores were associated with a lower baseline monocyte count (95 % HDI = [-0.96, −0.02]; BF&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; = 1.81) and a greater inflammatory response to stress (e.g., change in neutrophil scores from pre-to post stress induction: (95 % HDI = [0.18, 2.14]); BF&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; = 5.66). We also found evidence for an association between the ‘social withdrawal’ factor and an immune principal component most strongly weighted by monocytes, basophils, and IL-6 (95 % HDI = [-1.14, −0.01]; BF&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; = 1.88).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;We find preliminary evidence that different transdiagnostic psychiatric symptom dimensions map onto specific inflammatory profiles, both at baseline and after a stress induction. This represents a proof-of-principle for the use of data-driven and hypothesis-driven approaches to identify and link transdiagnostic factors with inflammatory changes, which may be of ","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"50 ","pages":"Article 101146"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coordination of inflammatory and adrenocortical stress response during pregnancy and variation by mental health","authors":"Heidemarie K. Laurent ,&nbsp;Sherryl H. Goodman ,&nbsp;Douglas A. Granger ,&nbsp;Penina M. Backer","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Well-regulated coordination of a multi-system stress response is particularly consequential for intergenerational health during pregnancy, when maternal stress systems typically adapt to protect the fetus. However, little is known about patterns of combined immune/inflammatory mediator (IM) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responding to acute stress in human pregnancy, let alone variations associated with maternal health risks. In this study we aimed to define normative perinatal stress response coordination and potential risk profiles by testing relations among pregnant women's salivary IM's and cortisol in response to psychosocial stress, as well as both concurrent affective distress symptomatology and lifetime diagnoses of affective disorders. A community sample of pregnant women (<em>n</em> = 158) participating in the first timepoint of a longitudinal study completed the Trier Social Stress Task and contributed five saliva samples assayed for cortisol; pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1β, IL6, TNFα; and CRP. They self-reported symptoms reflecting common (general distress) and distinct (anhedonic depression, anxious arousal) components of affective distress, and were interviewed about mental health history with a structured clinical interview. Multilevel modeling of IM and cortisol trajectories revealed IM and cortisol responses were positively coordinated on average, but varied across women. Greater affective distress predicted higher/increasing IM stress responses that diverged from cortisol recovery; history of mood disorder specifically related to increasing post-stress IM's, while current general distress related to non-coordination/divergence of IM from cortisol response. These findings highlight a novel stress response pathway characterizing both previous and current affective distress that may help efforts to ameliorate intergenerational impacts of perinatal stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"50 ","pages":"Article 101145"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145618114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early brain changes in Lyme disease are associated with clinical outcomes","authors":"Cherie L. Marvel ,&nbsp;Alison W. Rebman ,&nbsp;Kylie H. Alm ,&nbsp;Pegah Touradji ,&nbsp;Arnold Bakker ,&nbsp;Prianca A. Nadkarni ,&nbsp;Deeya Bhattacharya ,&nbsp;Owen P. Morgan ,&nbsp;Amy Mistri ,&nbsp;Christopher C. Sandino ,&nbsp;Jonathan A. Ecker ,&nbsp;Erica A. Kozero ,&nbsp;Arun Venkatesan ,&nbsp;Abhay Moghekar ,&nbsp;Ashar A. Keeys ,&nbsp;John N. Aucott","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101153","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101153","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In Lyme disease (LD), 10–20 % of patients develop persistent symptoms following antibiotic treatment (i.e., post-treatment Lyme disease (PTLD)), which often includes neurological symptoms. This study tested the hypothesis that physiological brain changes occur early in LD and influence outcomes.</div><div>Task-based functional MRI (fMRI) and health surveys were administered to patients with acute LD (n = 20) after treatment and six months later. Demographically matched healthy controls (HC; n = 19) were also assessed six months apart. The LD group was categorized at six months into those who had returned to health (RTH, n = 11) or reported persistent symptoms (sPTLD, n = 9). FMRI data from both LD subgroups were compared to each other and HC at both time points. FMRI-guided regions of interest (ROI) values were compared to health surveys.</div><div>Baseline brain activity in RTH was elevated in fronto-parietal regions relative to sPTLD (p &lt; .0025) and HC (p &lt; .001). Notably, 64 % of activation clusters in RTH were in white matter, confirmed by segmentation analysis. FMRI-guided ROI values from RTH vs. HC correlated with higher health survey scores. At 6-months, few group differences remained. By contrast, sPTLD vs. HC fMRI comparisons yielded few activation differences at either time point or correlations with health survey scores.</div><div>Robust brain activity in early LD was associated with future RTH. By contrast, the absence of early brain activity was associated with persistent symptoms, suggesting that failure to mount an early response contributes to PTLD. Understanding how brain activity relates to recovery in LD can aid prognosis and guide treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"50 ","pages":"Article 101153"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Animal models of Huntington's disease. Pros and cons","authors":"Polina Stepanova ,&nbsp;Merja H. Voutilainen ,&nbsp;Ove Eriksson ,&nbsp;Dan Lindholm","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Modelling of human neurological diseases uses a plethora of ever-more sophisticated methods and approaches. For Huntington's disease (HD), which affects specific neuronal types and circuits in the brain, this has meant the use of both neurotoxic compounds and various animal models of different complexity, ranging from rodents to non-primate ones. Genetic models are classified based on the use of specific constructs including gene including gene fragments, full-length, knock-out and knock-in models. In this review, we will discuss the available animal models for HD, highlighting their pros and cons in studying the neuropathology, behavioural alterations, and biological mechanisms that prevail in HD and during the disease progression. We also highlight present knowledge gaps and difficulties to fully recapitulate the human disease. At the end we will further elaborate on current outstanding questions in HD research that warrant further studies using both animal models and patient data. This may help to guide future research and increase the translational relevance of the models to solve key questions and pave the way for better treatment options and design of drugs to alleviate the course of HD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"50 ","pages":"Article 101149"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gut microbiota–neuroinflammation axis: A new mechanism and therapeutic target for comorbid depression in epilepsy","authors":"Xiujuan wang ,&nbsp;Mu Liu ,&nbsp;Liuzhao Cao ,&nbsp;Hao Huang ,&nbsp;Juan Yang ,&nbsp;Haiqing Zhang ,&nbsp;chengyu pan ,&nbsp;Zucai Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This review systematically summarizes the key pathological mechanisms and therapeutic potential of the gut microbiota–neuroinflammation axis in comorbid depression in epilepsy. Approximately 30–50 % of epilepsy patients suffer from depression, which leads to poor treatment adherence and significantly increases the risk of mortality and suicide. Studies have shown that dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and central nervous system inflammation interact through multiple pathways—including microbial metabolites, immune modulation, and the vagus nerve—to form a “gut–brain–emotion” regulatory network. Epilepsy patients often exhibit reduced diversity and abnormal composition of gut microbiota, most notably dysregulation of Firmicutes, which promotes systemic inflammation and activation of local central nervous system inflammation. Neuroinflammation, by affecting neurotransmitter metabolism, blood-brain barrier function, and neuroplasticity, exacerbates abnormal neuronal discharges and depressive symptoms, thereby creating a vicious cycle. Intervention strategies targeting this axis have shown promising prospects, including supplementation with probiotics or prebiotics, modulation of microbial metabolites, anti-inflammatory therapies, and dietary regulation, all of which can significantly improve both the frequency of epileptic seizures and emotional states. Multi-omics analysis and precise subtyping are advancing the development of individualized treatment plans, bridging the gaps among neuroscience, immunology, and microbiology. Although challenges remain in standardized sampling, causal mechanism validation, and long-term follow-up studies, the gut microbiota–neuroinflammation axis has emerged as a new frontier in the precise prevention and treatment of comorbid depression in epilepsy, providing a tangible theoretical foundation and practical strategies for improving patient outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"50 ","pages":"Article 101150"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PPARγ as a predictive biomarker for antidepressant response in major depressive disorder: Insights from TNIP1 transcriptional regulation","authors":"Yu-Wei Lin ,&nbsp;Daw-Yang Hwang ,&nbsp;Yi-Yung Hung","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101151","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101151","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating disease possibly linked to immune defense mechanisms. TNIP1, a key anti-inflammatory regulator in NF-κB and TLR pathways, is implicated in MDD, but its transcriptional regulation and role in treatment response are unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed mRNA expression of TNIP1 and 13 transcription factors in monocytes from pre- and post-treatment (4–6 weeks) MDD patients and healthy controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated, tagged by CD14, and mRNA was extracted and analyzed. Participants were recruited at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (2014–2025). ANCOVA, paired t-tests, and multiple linear regression adjusted for age, gender, BMI, and smoking were used to compare groups and predict treatment outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>This study encompassed 62 MDD patients and 52 healthy controls. Pre-treatment HAMD-17 averaged 23.90 ± 4.60, and post-treatment HAMD-17 averaged 8.43 ± 4.24. MDD patients showed higher PPAR-γ (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), FOS (<em>p</em> = 0.023), and lower JUN (<em>p</em> = 0.029) expression than controls. Post-treatment, TNIP1 expression increased (<em>p</em> = 0.031). Lower pre-treatment PPAR-γ predicted greater symptom improvement (<em>p</em> = 0.016).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study highlights the differential expression of PPAR-γ, FOS, and JUN in MDD patients, underscoring their potential roles in immune regulation. The association between lower pre-treatment PPAR-γ expression and improved treatment outcomes suggests its utility as a biomarker for predicting therapeutic response.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101151"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145712145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}