Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor as a Putative Biomarker of Depression in Asthmatics with Reversible Airway Narrowing

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a pivotal role in process of angiogenesis in adults. If angiogenesis is not properly controlled, its deregulation may implicate it in various psychosomatic diseases states. The aim of our study was to reveal possible correlation between severity of depression in asthmatics with different degrees of airway narrowing and serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels. The study population included a total of 122 adult subjects: 82 patients with asthma (among them 42 patients with irreversible bronchoconstriction and 40 patients with reversible bronchoconstriction) and 40 healthy participants as a control group. The standardized Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to estimate the depression symptoms. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assess the VEGF serum concentration in all participants. There was a significant difference in depression symptoms in asthmatics with reversible (p = 0.0432) and irreversible airway obstruction (p = 0.00005) in comparison to control group and between these two subgroups of asthmatics (p = 0.0233). Obtained results revealed significant correlation between level of depression and mean VEGF serum concentration in asthmatics with reversible airway obstruction (p = 0.0202). There was no difference between enhanced depression symptoms and VEGF serum concentration in patients with irreversible airway obstruction nor in the total group of asthmatics (in both p > 0.05). The relationship between asthma severity and depression symptoms seems to be certain. VEGF might be considered as a putative biomarker of depression in asthmatics, mainly those with reversible airway narrowing.

Automated summary

The study revealed the correlation between the severity of airway obstruction in asthmatics and depression symptoms, as well as the significant relationship between serum VEGF concentration levels. Depression symptoms in asthmatics with reversible airway obstruction showed a significant association with VEGF concentration, while this was not observed in patients with irreversible airway obstruction.