The effects of antidepressant treatment on serum cytokines and nutritional status in hemodialysis patients

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 384 - 389
• Main Authors: Lee, Sang-Kyu, Lee, Hong-Seock, Lee, Tae-Byeong, Kim, Do-Hoon, Koo, Ja-Ryong, Kim, Yong-Ku, Son, Bong-Ki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 01.06.2004; 대한의학회
• Subjects: Adult; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation - pharmacology; C-Reactive Protein - biosynthesis; Cytokines - blood; Depression - drug therapy; Electric Impedance; Female; Fluoxetine - pharmacology; Humans; Interleukin-1 - blood; Interleukin-2 - blood; Interleukin-6 - blood; Male; Middle Aged; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Original; Renal Dialysis - methods; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis; 의학일반
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2004.19.3.384

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of antidepressant treatment on serum cytokines and nutritional status in hemodialysis patients. Twenty-eight hemodialysis patients with a depressed mood were given 20 mg of fluoxetine for 8 weeks. The degree of depressive symptoms, the serum levels of interleukin-1beta, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, c-reactive protein, and markers of nutritional status were assessed at baseline and after treatment. The outcome was assessed in terms of response to treatment (>50% reduction in the score of the Hamilton depression rating scale). Antidepressant treatment decreased the serum level of interleukin-beta1 in both response and nonresponse groups, and increased the serum level of interleukin-6 only in the response group. At baseline, the level of interleukin-6 in the response group was lower than in the nonresponse group. Antidepressant treatment also increased fat distribution significantly in the response group which might have slightly improved the nutritional status. This study suggests that antidepressant treatment improve depressive symptoms and may affect immunological functions and nutritional status in chronic hemodialysis patients with depression.