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BackgroundThe pathogenesis of depression remains not fully understood， and previous studies have suggested that the kynurenine pathway （KP） plays an important role in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder. ObjectiveTo study the difference in serum KP metabolites level between patients with first-episode and recurrent major depressive disorder， and to testify the correlation between KP metabolites level with the severity of depressive symptoms， so as to provide references for the prevention of recurrence. MethodsA total of 136 patients with major depressive disorder who attended the outpatient clinics of the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from November 2016 to December 2018 and met the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） diagnostic criteria were included， including 62 patients in the first-episode group and 74 patients in the recurrent group. Meanwhile， 60 healthy subjects were included as control group. All patients were assessed by Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item （HAMD-17）， and serum concentrations of tryptophan （TRP）， kynurenine （KYN） and kynurenic acid （KYNA） were measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS）. Then the correlation of HAMD-17 total score and individual item scores with the levels of KP metabolites was tested using partial correlation coefficient. ResultsCompared with the control group， the first-episode group and recurrent group showed a marked decline in TRP concentration （t=-3.044， -4.477， P<0.05 or 0.01） and an increase in KYN/TRP ratio （t=2.343， 3.644， P<0.05 or 0.01）， with significant differences. The KYNA concentrations （t=2.490， 2.636， P<0.05 or 0.01） and KYNA/KYN ratio （t=2.894， 2.616， P<0.01） in first-episode group and control group were notably elevated compared to recurrent group， with statistical difference. Partial correlation analysis in patients with first-episode major depressive disorder demonstrated that KYN/TRP ratio was positively correlated with the HAMD-17 anxiety/somatization factor score （r=0.261， P<0.05）， and KYNA/KYN ratio was negatively correlated with HAMD-17 total score and block factor score （r=-0.286， -0.282， P<0.05）. In patients with recurrent major depressive disorder， KYN/TRP ratio was positively correlated with HAMD-17 anxiety/somatization factor score （r=0.280， P<0.05）. ConclusionKP metabolites in serum differ between first-episode and recurrent major depressive disorder patients， and patients with recurrent episodes experience severe KP metabolite abnormalities. Therefore， KP metabolites are considered to be potential biomarker candidates to assist clinicians in the diagnosis and recurrent prediction of major depressive disorder. ［Funded by National Key Research and Development Program Precision Medicine Research Project （number， 2016YFC0906300）］
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Objective To explore the characteristics of cognitive impairments in euthymic patients with early-on?set or late-onset bipolar I disorder (BD-I). Methods Ninety-four with onset age less than 21 (early onset group), 41 eu?thymic patients with onset age above 35 (late onset group) and 135 normal controls with matched education and age were enrolled. Seven classical neuropsychological tests were used to assess attention, processing speed, working memory and executive functions. Results The early-onset group was significantly worse than its corresponding normal controls in 14 indexes of all tests, including digital symbol, digital span, visual graphic reproduction (c1 and c2), time of TMT-A and TMT-B, verbal fluency, number of sorting, error and preserved error in WCST, as well as total score, completed missions, planning time and executing time in TOH (P<0.05). Moreover the effect size of difference were more than 0.4 in verbal fluency, time of TMT-A and TMT-B, and executing time in TOH. Compared with its matched control group, the late-on?set group was significantly impaired in 9 indexes, including digital span, visual graphic reproduction (c1,c2 and total), time of TMT-A, number of error and preserved error in WCST, as well as total score and completed missions in TOH (P<0.05), merely two indexes of TOH with effect size more than 0.4, while the late-onset group was no significantly impaired in digital symbol, TMT-B and verbal fluency. Conclusions There are significant cognitive impairments in euthymic BD-I patients with no matter early-onset or late-onset. But it seems that the cognitive impairments in early-onset bipo?lar disorder are more extensive and serious.
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Objective To estimate brain grey matter volume changes and location of abnormal brain regions cerebrum in early stage of bipolar disorder I (BD),in order to provided objective basis for diagnosing early stages BD.Methods 1 7 cases of BD with duration less than 2 years and 1 7 normal controls were recruited in this study.The volumetric difference of grey matter between two groups were analyzed by using voxel-based morphometry(VBM)software.Statistical threshold was voxel> 100,P <0.001 (uncor-rected).Results Compared to the normal controls,the grey matter volume of BD patients decreased in the left dorcial anterior cingu-late cortex(ACC),left insular,right sub-genu ACC,left superior temporal cortex,bilateral hippocampus-parahippocampus-amydala and left posterior lobe of cerebellum(P <0.001).Conclusion The grey matter volume of early stage BD patients is decreased,main-ly locating in the bilateral limbic system,the superior temporal gyrus and the cerebellar cortex,which probably is the morphological appearance of pathomechanism in early stages of BD.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the association of neural development-related genes LIS1and TSNAX with bipolar disorder in a Chinese Han population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three hundred and eight five patients (including 188 males and 197 females) from Guangzhou Brain Hospital with bipolar disorder meeting the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Bipolar Disorder (BDI) (Fourth Edition) criteria and 475 healthy controls from the local community were recruited. Ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the LIS1 and TSNAX genes were genotyped by GoldenGate genotyping assay on an Illumina Beadstation 500 machine. Association analyses of SNPs and haplotypes were performed with Plink 1.07 software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Analysis of the total sample has failed to find any association of SNP or haplotype of the two genes with BDI (P> 0.05). When patients were divided into subgroups with or without psychotic symptom, no significant association of the two genes was found with psychotic BDI or non-psychotic BDI (P> 0.05). No significant association was found between any SNP and haplotype of two genes and female BDI or male BDI, nor were significant association found between age of onset and LIS1 and TSNAX gene polymorphisms.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our results indicated that LIS1 and TSNAX genes are not associated with susceptibility to bipolar I disorder in Chinese Han population.</p>