| In a recent study, investigators from Emory | | | | find just he opposite," admits Maes. |
| University in Atlanta studied 28 otherwise healthy | | | | The surprise results did fit in with some other hints |
| men. Half of the participants were diagnosed with | | | | that depression and inflammation are entwined. |
| major depression while the other half was | | | | Depressed people tend to have slightly raised |
| depression-free. When these participants were faced | | | | temperatures, which suggests that they are suffering |
| with stressful situations, inflammatory markers in the | | | | from some chronic inflammation. They are also three |
| blood rose in both the depressed men and the | | | | times as likely to die of heart disease, which is itself |
| healthy controls, but levels were much higher in the | | | | an inflammatory condition of the linings of arteries. |
| men with major depression. | | | | Doctors have known for decades that patients with |
| "While inflammation is essential for us to fight | | | | chronic inflammation, such as that linked to coronary |
| bacterial and viral infections, too much inflammation | | | | heart disease or rheumatoid arthritis, are more likely |
| can cause harm," reports the above study author | | | | than others to become depressed. Some |
| Andrew Miller, M.D. "We now believe that too much | | | | pro-inflammatory drugs, such as interferon-alpha, |
| inflammation, either at rest or during stress, may | | | | which is used to treat Hepatitis C and a cancer |
| predispose people to become depressed or stay | | | | known as malignant melanoma, also induce symptoms |
| depressed." | | | | of depression in a significant number of patients. |
| The first hint of a connection between depression | | | | Researchers said, "For Years, No One Considered |
| and inflammation came around 1990. Michael Maes, a | | | | That An Infection Somewhere In The Body Could |
| psychiatrist now at the University of Maastricht in the | | | | Affect The Brain." |
| Netherlands, was investigating claims that depressed | | | | "But as (University of Texas immunologist) Ed Blalock |
| people are unusually vulnerable to infections, and | | | | said in 1984, the immune system is a sensory organ. |
| cancer, a theory that could be explained by a sluggish | | | | The immune system is exquisitely adapted as a |
| immune system. | | | | sensory system to 'see' infectious agents. And it |
| But when Maes looked at immune cells from | | | | communicates that information to the brain." |
| depressed people such as natural-killer cells, | | | | Research into chronic inflammation and depression is |
| monocytes and macrophages, he found instead that | | | | an ongoing process. The results will help millions of |
| the cells were more active than normal, and put out | | | | people who suffer from many types of anxiety |
| more inflammatory cytokines. "We had expected to | | | | disorders. |