The Role of Water-Soluble Vitamins and Vitamin D in Prevention and Treatment of Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder in Adults.

Depression is a major global health concern expected to worsen by 2030. In 2019, 28 million individuals were affected by depressive disorders. Dietary and supplemental vitamins show overall favorable preventative and therapeutic effects on depression. B vitamins are crucial for neurological function and mood regulation. Deficiencies in these vitamins are linked to depression. Studies on individual B vitamins show promise in improving depressive symptoms, particularly thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate. Vitamin C deficiency may heighten depressive symptoms, but its exact role is not fully understood. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is associated with insufficient sunlight exposure and vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D supplementation for SAD shows inconsistent results due to methodological variations. Further investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms of vitamins in depression treatment. Moreover, more research on SAD and light therapy's efficacy and underlying mechanisms involving photoreceptors, enzymes, and immune markers is needed. Although dietary and supplemental vitamins show overall favorable preventative and therapeutic effects on depression, dietitians treating psychiatric disorders face challenges due to diverse study designs, making direct comparisons difficult. Therefore, this article reviews the current literature to assess the role of dietary and supplemental vitamins in the prevention and treatment of depression. This review found that, although evidence supports the role of B vitamins and vitamins C and D in preventing and treating depression, further research is needed to clarify their mechanisms of action and determine the most effective intervention strategies.

1E10 anti-idiotype vaccine in non-small cell lung cancer: experience in stage IIIb/IV patients.

Conventional treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has apparently reached a plateau of effectiveness in improving the survival of the patients. For that reason the search for new therapeutic strategies in this type of tumor is justified. 1E10 is an anti-idiotype murine monoclonal antibody (Ab2 MAb) specific to P3 Ab1 MAb, which reacts with NeuGc-containing gangliosides, sulfatides and with antigens expressed in some tumors, including those from the lung. We report the treatment with aluminum hydroxide-precipitated 1E10 MAb of 34 stage IIIb and 37 stage IV NSCLC patients. These patients were treated with the anti-idiotype vaccine, after received standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy, in a compassionate-use basis study. Patients received five bi-weekly injections of 1 mg of 1E10/Alum, other 10 doses at 28-day intervals and later the patients who maintained a good performance status continued to be immunized at this same time interval. No evidence of unexpected or serious adverse effects was reported. The median survival time of the 56 patients who entered the study with partial response or disease stabilization and with a PS 1 after the first line of chemo/radiotherapy, was 11.50 months from starting vaccination. In contrast, the median survival time calculated for patients who started vaccination with progressive disease and/or a PS2 was 6.50 months.