Markers of Inflammation, Energy and Glutamate Metabolism, and Antioxidant Defense in Patients with Adolescent Depression

Abstract—The involvement of inflammation, disturbances of glutamate metabolism, and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and affective disorders has been proven by numerous studies. It seems relevant to assess the role of these systems in the development of prodromal stages of schizophrenia in juvenile patients with depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between markers of inflammation, energy and glutamate metabolism, and antioxidant defense with the clinical features of patients with adolescent depression. 74 males aged 16–25 years with a first depressive episode (F32.1-2, F32.38, F32.8) were observed: 32 subjects with attenuated positive symptoms, 22 persons with attenuated negative symptoms, 20 individuals without attenuated schizophrenia symptoms. The control group included 57 mentally healthy adults aged 19–25 years. The activity of leukocyte elastase and α1-proteinase inhibitor, the level of autoantibodies to S100B and myelin basic protein in plasma and the activity of cytochrome c-oxidase, glutamate dehydrogenase, glutathione reductase and glutathione-S-transferase in platelets were determined. Within each clinical group, differences in the profiles of immunological and biochemical parameters were identified. Division of patients into clusters according to all biological parameters showed different level of inflammation and changes of glutamate metabolism and antioxidant defense related to the features of psychopathological symptoms. The results confirm the connection of the studied metabolic systems and their different involvement to the development of adolescent depression with different psychopathological structure, which is important to assess the role of these systems in the trajectory of the disease and early therapeutic correction.