Researchers studied 46 patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 46 healthy individuals. Among the MDD patients, 26 had anorexia while 20 did not. They looked at their depression levels using a scale called HAMD-24 and analyzed the composition of their gut bacteria using a method called 16S rRNA sequencing. They also measured inflammatory factors in the blood like C-reactive protein (CRP).
Hereโs what they found:
- Inflammation and CRP Levels: Individuals with MDD, regardless of anorexia, showed significantly higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), indicating heightened inflammation compared to healthy controls.
- Microbiota Diversity: MDD patients with anorexia exhibited lower diversity in their gut microbiota compared to healthy controls. This suggests an imbalance in gut bacteria, potentially contributing to both MDD and anorexia.
- Microbial Composition: Certain bacteria were found to correlate with anorexia, depression severity (measured by HAMD scores), and CRP levels. For instance, ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ถ๐ต๐ช๐ข was more abundant in MDD patients with anorexia and positively correlated with CRP, HAMD scores, and anorexia. Conversely, bacteria like ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ค๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ถ๐ฎ, ๐๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด, ๐๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ข, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด were less abundant in MDD patients and negatively correlated with these factors.
- Diagnostic Potential: The study identified specific bacterial genera that could potentially serve as biomarkers for identifying MDD patients with anorexia. They achieved high accuracy in distinguishing between MDD patients with or without anorexia using these biomarkers.
The study underscores the complex relationship between gut microbiota, inflammation, and MDD with anorexia. These findings highlight the importance of considering both psychological and physical aspects in MDD diagnosis and treatment. Elevated CRP levels in MDD patients suggest inflammation’s role in depression. Gut microbiota alterations in MDD patients with anorexia may influence depression and appetite via inflammatory pathways. However, further research with larger sample sizes and longitudinal designs is needed to confirm these findings and elucidate causal relationships.
Link to the article : https://tinyurl.com/ynhnznw5
