Impact of endothelial inflammation on depression in patients with cerebral microangiopathy: a prospective study

Epidemiological studies demonstrate a strong relationship between depression and cerebral microangiopathy (CM) associated with arterial hypertension (AH) and cerebral atherosclerosis, but the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying this relationship are not fully understood.

Objective: to evaluate the relationship between the level of peripheral markers of endothelial inflammation and depression severity in patients with CM.

Patients and methods. The level of peripheral markers of endothelial inflammation was assessed by enzyme immunoassay, and the severity of depression was assessed using the HADS scale in 262 patients with CM. All patients had correction of hypotensive, antiplatelet, anticoagulant, lipid-lowering, hypoglycemic therapy. Observation of the patients lasted 3 months with an assessment of the follow-up clinical and laboratory parameters. Results and discussion. Comparative analysis shown that in the group of patients with clinically significant depression (n=146) C-reactive protein (CRP) level was составил 6.11 mg/l, monocytic chemoatactic factor-1 (МСР-1) – 2.02 ng/ml, which differed significantly from the group f patients with subclinical depression (n=116): CRP – 2.03 mg/l, МСР-1 – 0.66 ng/ml (р<0.05). Correlation analysis showed a direct strong significant linear relationship between the depression severity and the level of CRP (correlation coefficient r=0.85, p><0.05). A similar significant correlation was found between the depression severity and the MCP-1 level – a direct strong linear relationship (r=0.8, p><0.05). The odds ratio assessment revealed that increased peripheral markers of endothelial inflammation are associated with clinically significant depression. The use of drugs aimed at correcting the main cardiovascular risk factors contributed to a significant normalization of the levels of peripheral markers of inflammation (p><0.05), accompanied by a reduction in depressive symptoms in patients with CM without the use of specific antidepressant therapy. Conclusion. The study revealed a relationship between altered levels of peripheral markers of inflammation and the severity of depression in patients with CM associated with hypertension and cerebral atherosclerosis. The normalization of the peripheral markers of endothelial inflammation contributed to the restoration of the emotional background. Keywords: endothelial inflammation; inflammatory markers; depression; cerebral microangiopathy>˂0.05). Correlation analysis showed a direct strong significant linear relationship between the depression severity and the level of CRP (correlation coefficient r=0.85, p˂0.05). A similar significant correlation was found between the depression severity and the MCP-1 level – a direct strong linear relationship (r=0.8, p˂0.05). The odds ratio assessment revealed that increased peripheral markers of endothelial inflammation are associated with clinically significant depression. The use of drugs aimed at correcting the main cardiovascular risk factors contributed to a significant normalization of the levels of peripheral markers of inflammation (p˂0.05), accompanied by a reduction in depressive symptoms in patients with CM without the use of specific antidepressant therapy.

Conclusion. The study revealed a relationship between altered levels of peripheral markers of inflammation and the severity of depression in patients with CM associated with hypertension and cerebral atherosclerosis. The normalization of the peripheral markers of endothelial inflammation contributed to the restoration of the emotional background. 

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