Genes for immune system ‘linked with depression’
Study suggests neutrophils may be important in mediating bidirectional effects, authors say
Genes that increase a person’s susceptibility to depression are also associated with increased white blood cell count, researchers report.
Furthermore, the association may be bidirectional, and driven by neutrophils, according to study results.
While the underlying biological basis for depression remains poorly understood, the condition is consistently associated with increased proinflammatory biomarkers, the US researchers explain in JAMA Psychiatry.
Dr Lea Davis of Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, in Nashville, Tennessee, US, and colleagues used data from four healthcare systems participating in the PsycheMERGE Network to examine the association between depression polygenic risk scores (PGS) and a variety of clinical laboratory values.
