The relationship between inflammatory factors and brain-derived neurotrophic factors and somatic symptoms in elderly depression
Xu Manhua
Li Ping
He Lanying
Gao Limei
Abstract：Objective To explore the relationship between inflammatory factors[tumor necrosis factor-α(Tumor Necrosis Factor-α,TNF-α),interleukin-1 β(Interleukin-1 β,IL-1 β),interleukin-6(Interleukin-6,IL-6),C-reactive protein(C-Reactive Protein,CRP)]and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)and somatic symptoms in geriatric depression(Late-Life Depression,LLD).Methods The present study is a retrospective study,80 cases of geriatric depression admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to February 2023 were the study subjects,self-rating scale according to the somatization symptoms(somatic symptom disorder,SSS),symptom self-rating scale(the self-report symptom inventory,symptom check-list90,SCL-90)score,Hamilton's depression scale(HAMD)score and the McGreer depression mood scale(Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale,MADRS)score,The LLD patients were divided into the group with somatic symptoms(Group A)and the group without somatic symptoms(Group B).In addition,inflammatory factors and BDNF levels were compared in the two groups of patients,and Pearson correlation analysis was used to verify the correlation of inflammatory factors,brain-derived nerve BDNF and somatic symptoms in LLD patients.Results The levels of TNF-α,IL-1 β,IL-6,CRP and BDNF in Group A patients were significantly higher than those of Group B patients,and the differences were statistically significant(t=10.859,54.108,9.532,16197,19.382,P＜0.01).Group A score of SSS(50.21±4.35),SCL-90(132.26±2.37),HAMD(49.24±2.73)and MADRS(47.25±2.06),inflammatory factors and BDNF levels were significantly higher than Group B(t=71.623,41.197,37.010,P＜0.01).The serum BDNF levels of patients in groups A and B gradually decreased(F=17.42,14.84,P＜0.05),while IL-6 showed an upward trend(F=17.47,17.42,P＜0.05).The serum BDNF levels in group A were lower than those in group B(P＜0.05),while the IL-6 levels were higher than those in group B(P＜0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between inflammatory factors and cerebral neurotrophic factors and somatic symptoms in LLD patients(r=0.478,0.914,P＜0.05).Conclusion Compared with LLD patients without somatic symptoms,the related inflammatory factors and BDNF levels increased.In addition,the results found that the above factors had a good linear relationship.
Keywords：Geriatric depressionInflammatory factorBrain-derived neurotrophic factorSomatic symptoms
Publication Date：2025-08-31
Online Publishing Date：2025-09-24(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 602-606 )