Oxidative Stress and Major Depression

Background: Major causative factor for major depression is inflammation, autoimmune tissue damage and prolonged psychological stress, which leads to oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to know the association of free radicals and antioxidant status in subjects suffering from major depression. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients diagnosed as a case of unipolar depression as per DSM IV, fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were compared with 40 healthy age and sex matched controls. The sera of both the groups were collected taking aseptic precautions and were evaluated for the markers of oxidative stress and for the antioxidants. The age group of the sample and the controls was between 18-60 y, both males and females were equally represented in the groups. Results: A significantly high level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was found in the patients with major depression (1.95 +/- 1.04 mmol/L) as compared to healthy controls (0.366 +/- 0.175 mmol/L) (p < 0.0001). The serum level of nitrite was found to be lower in cases (23.18 +/- 12.08 mu mol/L) in comparison to controls (26.18 +/- 8.68 mu mol/L) (p = 0.1789). Similarly the serum level of ascorbic acid and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly below as compared to healthy controls (all p < 0.0001). Ceruloplasmin levels were also depressed in cases (p = 0.3943). Conclusion: The study concluded that in the absence of known oxidative injury causative agents, the lowered levels of antioxidants and higher levels of MDA implicate the high degree of oxidative stress in unipolar depression.