Serum levels of interleukin-33 and mesencephalic astrocyte derived neurotrophic factors in patients with major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional comparative design

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating health condition that has significant morbidity and mortality rates. Depression can be caused due to social, biological, environmental, psychological, and genetic factors. A few biological processes have been proposed as the pathophysiological pathways of depression. Neurotrophic factors and inflammatory cytokines have been linked to depression. Thus, we aimed to investigate the serum interleukin-33 (IL-33) and mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) in MDD patients and corresponding healthy controls (HCs).

This study involved the inclusion of 129 MDD patients and 125 HCs matched by sex and age. A psychiatrist evaluated the study participants following DSM-5 criteria. The severity of the illness was assessed utilizing the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (Ham-D). The serum concentrations of IL-33 and MANF were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.

The mean serum levels of IL-33 were decreased (159.12 ± 6.07 pg/ml vs. 180.60 ± 8.64 pg/ml, p = 0.042), and the MANF levels were increased (5.40 ± 0.19 ng/ml vs. 4.46 ± 0.21 ng/ml, p = 0.001) in MDD patients when compared to HCs.

The current study proposes that lower IL-33 and higher MANF serum levels are associated with MDD progression and depression severity. These biomarkers could be used as risk assessment tools for MDD. We recommend more investigation, including a significant population, to determine the precise function of IL-33 and MANF in depression.