The Influence of Antidepressants on the Immune System

pattismith

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Looking for more information about low T lymphocytes CD8 / low NK activity, I found it's a finding in Bipolar Disorder and Major Depression Disorder that is not uncommon!

Neuroinflammation is also a common finding in these two disorders.

The Influence of Antidepressants on the Immune System
Łukasz P. Szałach,1 Katarzyna A. Lisowska,
1 and Wiesław J. Cubała2
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2019

Abstract
Depression is one of the most frequently diagnosed condition in psychiatry.

Despite the availability of many preparations, over 30% of treated patients do not achieve remission.

Recently the emphasis is put on the contribution of the body’s inflammatory response as one of the causes of depression.

The interactions between nervous and immune systems are the main issue addressed by psychoneuroimmunology.

In patients suffering from depression changes in the plasma concentrations of cytokines and in the number and level of activation of immune cells has been found.

Attention is paid to the high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, the prevalence of Th1 responses to Th2, weakening of NK cell cytotoxicity and changes in lymphocyte proliferation and apoptosis.

A number of studies focus on influence of antidepressants and non-standard methods of depression treatment, such as ketamine infusion, on patients’ immunology.

Many of them seem to regulate the immune responses.

The study results encourage to look for new ways to treat depression with immunomodulatory drugs.

In this article authors present the current knowledge about immune system changes accompanying depression as well as the study results showing the influence of drugs on the immune system, especially in the context of reducing the symptoms of depression.

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Recently the emphasis is put on the contribution of the body’s inflammatory response as one of the causes of depression.
This has been in the news a bit recently. Unfortunatly the significance of it has been lost amongst the covid news. I suspect that we will be hearing a lot more about it when life gets back to normal. One possibility is that anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen will be used instead of anti-depressants.
 

pattismith

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This has been in the news a bit recently. Unfortunatly the significance of it has been lost amongst the covid news. I suspect that we will be hearing a lot more about it when life gets back to normal. One possibility is that anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen will be used instead of anti-depressants.
I think research will do one more step by targeting neuroinflammation and lymphocyte functions.

this is an older study (2015)

Natural killer cell activity in patients with major depressive disorder treated with escitalopram☆☆
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intimp.2015.06.031Get rights and content

Highlights


The changes in number and activity natural killer cells have repeatedly been reported.

Antidepressant pharmacotherapy has been associated with natural killer cell number or activity.

Natural killer cells play an important in improving the depressive symptoms responding to SSRIs.

Abstract

Background

An association between depression and altered immunity has been suggested by many studies, although the findings are not fully consistent. The present investigation examined the effects of escitalopram on cellular immunity in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods

Fifty-one patients with MDD were evaluated with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale. The patients were grouped into responders (n = 32) and non-responders (n = 19). Adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, CD4, CD8, CD19, and natural killer cells were measured at baseline and after a 4 week treatment with escitalopram. Plasma hormones and immune parameters were compared between groups.

Results

Responders showed increased activity, but not number, of natural killer cells after a 4 week treatment with escitalopram. There were no differences in plasma hormones and other immune parameters between groups, even though cortisol was decreased and CD19 was increased across both groups compared to baseline.

Conclusions

The results suggest that natural killer cells play an important role in improving the symptoms of depressive patients responding to selective serotonin inhibitors. To deepen our understanding of the pathogenesis of depression, interactions between serotonin and the immune system should be further explored.
 

pattismith

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this 2018 study found that serotonine uptake inhibitors were effective to increase NK activity in Depression.

They also found "Severe depression was associated with lower CD8-positive cells in a large-scale meta-analysis among medically healthy persons, and as severity of depression may decrease after medication, CD4/CD8 ratio is correlated with the severity of depression [9, 28]. "

"From the results, we carefully suggest that NKCActivity could be the possibility of being a diagnostic biomarker of anxiety-dominant depression subtype.
CD+8 may also be an objective indicator of the severity and change of depression. "

"Subjects were treated with escitalopram (N = 27; mean daily dose, 12.8 mg; range, 5–20 mg/day),
paroxetine (N = 12; mean daily dose, 50 mg; range, 25–50 mg/day),
and sertraline (N = 10; mean daily dose, 75 mg; range, 50–100 mg/day). "
 

pattismith

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Circulating T lymphocyte subsets, cytokines, and immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with bipolar II or major depression: a preliminary study 2017

WeiWu1, Ya-li Zheng2,3, Li-pingTian2,4, Jian-bo Lai5,6, Chan-chan Hu5,6, Peng Zhang2,3, Jing-kaiChen5,6, Jian-bo Hu5,6, Man-li Huang5,6, NingWei5,6, Wei-juanXu5,6, Wei-huaZhou5,6, Shao-jia Lu5,6, Jing Lu5,6, Hong-liQi5,6, Dan-danWang5,6, Xiao-yiZhou5,6, Jin-feng Duan5,6, YiXu5,6,* & Shao-hua Hu5,6,*

This study aimed to investigate the less known activation pattern of T lymphocyte populations and immune checkpoint inhibitors on immunocytes in patients with bipolar II disorder depression (BD) or major depression (MD).

A total of 23 patients with BD, 22 patients with MD, and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited.

The blood cell count of T lymphocyte subsets and the plasma level of cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) were selectively investigated.

The expression of T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM-3), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, on T lymphocytes and monocytes, was detected.

In results, blood proportion of cytotoxic T cells significantly decreased in BD patients than in either MD patients or HCs.

The plasma level of IL-6 increased in patients with BD and MD.

The expression of TIM-3 on cytotoxic T cells significantly increased, whereas the expression of PD-L2 on monocytes significantly decreased in patients with BD than in HCs.

These findings extended our knowledge of the immune dysfunction in patients with affective disorders.
 

pattismith

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After a short trial with low dose Escitalopram and a short one with methylphenidate, I had improvement in my CD8 count, but never improved my CD4/CD8 ratio which is always changing for the higher. It is currently 5.28...

Each time I manage to increase my CD8 count, my CD4 count gets much higher and my ratio stays stuck at the top, like if it was genetically programmed....:(
 

lenora

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Hi @pattismith ....I find that the older I get, the more the body changes. Some things go and others replace them, or just stay the same. Our bodies are so individuals to each of us.

One of the reasons why finding a "cure" for this isn't simple and will require more than the discovery of one thing. It's complicated b/c the body itself is complicated. I wish you well in the years ahead. Yours, Lenora.
 
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