Not just psychology

Depressive disorder is accompanied by deformation of blood cells

Peter Kazimirov, PCR.news

Major depressive disorder is associated with increased deformation of erythrocytes, dysthymic disorder — with deformation of monocytes, neutrophils and granulocytes.

Depressive spectrum disorders are one of the most common diseases at present. At the same time, they are diagnosed exclusively by a combination of symptoms, there is little information about specific physiological changes occurring in the patient's body. Scientists from Germany have shown that depressive disorders are associated with increased cell deformation.

The authors of the study analyzed blood samples from patients with diagnoses of "major depressive disorder" (MDD) or "dysthymic disorder" (persistent depressive disorder), as well as, for control, from people without these diagnoses. Patients were also divided into groups according to the duration of the disease — chronic patients (lifetime disorder) or diagnosed within the last 12 months. The sample size was 42 and 12 people for MDD and 30 and 15 people for dysthymia, there were 64 people in the control group

The blood samples taken from the patients were analyzed on a special device — the sample was passed through a capillary with a diameter of 20 nm; each cell passing through the capillary was photographed with a high-speed camera, after which the size and shape of each cell were analyzed. The cells were classified using an artificial intelligence-based image recognition system.

Real-time strain cytometry and subsequent classification of blood cells.

The primary analysis showed an association of chronic dysthymia with an increased level of deformity of monocytes and neutrophils; newly diagnosed dysthymia with deformity of erythrocytes; recently diagnosed MDD with deformity of lymphocytes. Scientists have not found a link between depressive spectrum disorders and cell size.

After statistical adjustment of the data taking into account independent factors such as gender, age, concomitant diseases and medications taken, as well as adjustments for multiple hypothesis testing, significant correlations remained between chronic dysthymic disorder and the level of deformation of monocytes, neutrophils and granulocytes. There was also a partial correlation between newly diagnosed MDD and erythrocyte deformity.

Scientists believe that the results obtained indicate significant and permanent physiological changes in the body of patients with depressive disorders. They hope that the development of drugs that repair damage to blood cells will help ease the course of diseases.

Article by Walther et al. Depressive disorders are associated with increased peripheral blood cell deformability: a cross-sectional case-control study (Mood-Morph) published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

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