Posted on 06/01/2008 9:27:29 AM PDT by Dysart
Major depressive disorder is a common and complex condition that impacts about 15% of the population of the United States, yet very little is known about the mechanisms behind the psychiatric disorder. What is known is that there are clinical parallels between depressive symptoms and the symptoms of certain inflammatory disorders.
In findings published electronically in Molecular Psychiatry, researchers from University of Miami found polymorphisms in inflammation-related genes that are associated with susceptibility to major depression and antidepressant response. Two genes critical for T-cell function in the immune system have been associated with susceptibility for major depressive disorder and antidepressant treatment response: PSMB4 (proteasome beta 4 subunit) and TBX21 (T-bet).
The study population was made up of 284 depressed Mexican-Americans from Los Angeles who were already enrolled in a pharmacogenetic study of antidepressant treatment response. The control group was made up of 331 individuals from the same community.
“Our findings suggest that a simple blood test to look for these genes could help us identify people who are at risk for depression,” said Ma-Li Wong, M.D., professor and vice chair for translational research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Miller School of Medicine and lead author of the study. “We would know to watch these people in stressful situations, such as a soldier in combat, and intervene earlier to get them the help they need.”
Interestingly, genetic variations in PSMB4 and TBX21 may also be relevant to two immune disorders, psoriasis and asthma. Both of these disorders are known to be co-morbid withmajor depressive disorder and are related to psychosocial stressors.
1) Thought it was very interesting bit of information but the implications of gene profiling is a little unsettling.
2) Inflammation seems to be a frequent underpinning culprit in many maladies. If not always precisely a cause, sharing an associated biochemical pathway.
Archie used to sing about this on Hee-Haw, didn’t he?
What’s a Hee-Haw?
They went through all that effort to fill jobs American minorities and teenagers used to do as entry level jobs, then found out they couldn't even get a job in LA?
I'd be depressed too!
Oh wait.
I'm
out of work
out of equity
nearly out of savings
and the IRS says I owe them a whole bunch...
Did anyone see Kurzkein? (sp) on Glenn Beck Friday night?
...out of health insurance...
I missed it. What happened?
Proper genetic screening would have seen all that coming.
If you think you need a grief counselor to talk to about this trauma, think again.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024404/posts
What trauma?
I feel your pain -— I’m in a similar situation, although it is the state, not the IRS that says we owe them a bunch.
I was joking.
Good luck with that!
I wasn’t.
At least my Darling Daughter is healing up nicely from being impaled on a fence...
Chronic inflammation has been identified as the source of many of the troubles in the auto-immune realm. See: What is the basic definition of Th1 inflammation?, and the rest of the site. Also www.bacteriality.com.
Depression is a common symptom among auto-immune patients, as well as other diseases, see Amy Tan's story of Lyme-induced depression at Literati with Lyme.
Interesting links. I have a cousin with a difficult to treat case of Fibromyalgia. She’s been to several docs with no success. I’ll pass this info on to her.
Thanks.
He just talked about how our intelligence was doubling and we in 20 years we would have a virtual reality. He seemed to skirt around the issue of a God and said his religion was invention. His predictions have been correct so far. He invented a device that reads for the blind around the size of a cell phone and costs $2,000.
Scary, interesting.....
Great. We’ll be twice as smart, and half as wise.
Thanks,my FRiend. “Oweing” the state is actually the least of my worries. I’m more worried about keeping a roof over my head.
Me too!
I’m somewhat looking forward to telling them to go pound sand if they try to push me.
Something about blood and turnips...
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