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Leaky gut biomarkers in depression and suicidal behavior
The ‘leaky gut hypothesis’ proposes that increasing intestinal permeability may contribute to the association between inflammation with major depressive disorder (MDD) and suicidal behavior. This 2019 study thus evaluated patients with a recent suicide attempt (rSA), MDD subjects with no history of a suicide attempt (nsMDD), and healthy controls (HC) on their plasma gut permeability marker levels, and explored the markers’ relationship with symptom severity and inflammation. This study recruited 54 rSAs, 13 nsMDDs, and 17 HCs, who were psychologically assessed using Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Suicide Assessment Scale (SUAS). The markers determined in the participants were zonulin, intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I‐FABP), soluble CD14, and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6). The results showed that the rSA group exhibited higher I‐FABP and lower zonulin levels compared with the other two groups, while I‐FABP levels were positively associated with MADRS among all subjects. IL‐6 readings in the sample correlated positively with I-FABP and negatively with zonulin. Furthermore, higher I-FABP levels were linked with greater SUAS scores, showing statistical significance in the nsMDD group. The ‘leaky gut hypothesis’ may indeed help understand the relationship between inflammation and suicidal behavior. [NPID: mood disorders, psychiatric disorders, leaky gut, inflammation, major depressive disorder, MDD, suicide]
Year: 2019
