STUDIES ON SOME BIOLOGICAL MARKERS IN A SAMPLE OF EGYPTIAN PATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS

Abstract

The present work aimed to study some biological markers in a sample of Egyptian depressed patients. The patients were divided according to ICD10 criteria into a moderately depressed group and severely depressed one. The studied markers included serotonin, cortisol and growth hormone. They were analyzed in the serum before receiving any treatment and after recovery due to hospital treatments. Further, the work was aimed to study sleep changes of depressed patients.

Another part of the work aimed to declare if there is any role of GH on some neurotransmitters (related to depression) and hence the process of depression. Thus, in an experimental model, GH level was inhibited by treating male rats with a synthetic GH inhibitor (octreotide). During 24hr., the effect of GH decrease due to octreotide treatment on contents of ACh, 5-HT, NE, GABA and activity of AChE in three major brain areas (fore, mid and hind brains) was studied. The results revealed the presence of sleep changes in patients suffering from depression. These changes included a remarkably significant decrease of SWS%, sleep efficiency% and REM latency in both moderately and severely depressed groups as compared to healthy volunteer control group. . Further, the patients recorded significant decrease of serum 5-HT and significant increase of serum cortisol. Treatment of patients with lllllpranune and amitriptyline antidepressants induced em increment of serum 5-HT level and a decrease of serum cortisol level. A slight decrease of serum GH level was recorded of depressed patients as compared to their corresponding control group. No change m GH level was found after clinical recovery.

The octreotide treatment induced a markedly significant increase in the contents of brain 5-HT and GABA throughout most of the tested periods. The in.:;rease in ACh content due to octreotide was significant only in mid brain tissue. On the other hand, the drug caused marked decrease of NE content and AChE activity through most of tested periods.