ArticleBMC immunology2018
Association between major depressive disorder and pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins among HIV-1 positive patients in Uganda.
Article in BMC immunology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- Examining Depression as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease in People with HIV: A Systematic Review.Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Prevalence of Mental Disorders in Uganda: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.The Psychiatric quarterly · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Global Systematic Review of Common Mental Health Disorders in Adults Living with HIV.Current HIV/AIDS reports · 2021Pooled it
- Mental health and well-being of older adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2021Pooled it
- Pro-inflammatory biomarkers associated with depression severity among adults with HIV in New York City.Journal of psychiatric research · 2025Trial
- Major Depressive Episodes and Psychiatric Symptoms Among HIV Controllers Compared With Antiretroviral-Treated People Living With HIV.Open forum infectious diseases · 2026Article
- The kynurenine pathway in depression and schizophrenia: convergent signals, divergent states, and clinical signatures.EXCLI journal · 2026Review
- A Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial of the Effects of Escitalopram on Depressive Symptoms and Immune Function in People With HIV.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2026Article
- Inside out: TNFa-RII and sexualized drug use in acute HIV predicts persistent depressive symptoms despite antiretroviral therapy.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2025Article
- Bidirectional Relationship between HIV/HBV Infection and Comorbid Depression and/or Anxiety: A Systematic Review on Shared Biological Mechanisms.Journal of personalized medicine · 2023Review
- Cerebrospinal fluid levels of 5-HIAA and dopamine in people with HIV and depression.Journal of neurovirology · 2023Article
- Sex-specific associations between plasma interleukin-6 and depression in persons with and without HIV.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2023Article
- Biomarkers of central and peripheral inflammation mediate the association between HIV and depressive symptoms.Translational psychiatry · 2023Article
- Depression and HIV: a scoping review in search of neuroimmune biomarkers.Brain communications · 2023Article
- Validity of the patient health questionnaires (phq-2 and phq-9) for screening depression among human immunodeficiency virus patients in Lahore, Pakistan.World journal of virology · 2022Article
- Neuroinflammation in HIV-associated depression: evidence and future perspectives.Molecular psychiatry · 2022Review
- Astrocyte Activation is A Potential Mechanism Underlying Depressed Mood and Apathy in People with HIV.Journal of neurology and psychology · 2022Article
- Soluble Biomarkers of Cognition and Depression in Adults with HIV Infection in the Combination Therapy Era.Current HIV/AIDS reports · 2021Review
- Evaluating the Relationship Between Depression and Cognitive Function Among Children and Adolescents with HIV in Zambia.AIDS and behavior · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric complication of HIV/AIDS. While considerable research has been undertaken to understand the psychosocial risk factors of MDD, there is a paucity of data on its biological risk factors including immunological factors. To address this we undertook a study to investigate the association between MDD and pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins among persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Uganda. We collected clinical and laboratory data on 201 PLWHA attending two HIV clinics in central and southwestern Uganda. Clinical data included DSM-IV based MDD diagnosis, while laboratory data included the concentrations of IL-6, TNF-α and CRP measured using ELISA. Multiple logistic linear regression analysis was used to determine which proteins were independently significantly associated with MDD controlling for study site, sex, age and highest educational attainment.
resultsThe prevalence of MDD was 62/201 (30.8%). Adjusting for confounders, the odds of MDD increased with increasing levels of IL-6 [each unit increase in IL-6 titres was associated with an aOR = 0.98 (95% CI, 0.97-0.99); p < 0.001]. Participants with low levels of TNF-α were at reduced risk of MDD compared to participants with no TNF-α [those with a TNF-α of 1- <50 pg/ml titres had an aOR = 0.35(95% CI,0.10-1.16)], but as the level of TNF-α increased, the risk of MDD increased, and in particular participants with high levels of TNF-α (of 500 or above) were at a significantly increased risk of MDD [e.g. those with a TNF-α of 500- < 1000 pg/ml titres had an aOR = 3.98 (95% CI,1.29-12.33)] compared to participants with no TNF-α. There was no evidence that MDD was associated with the level of CRP titres [aOR = 0.95 (0.78-1.15); p = 0.60)].
conclusionIn this study, the pro-inflammatory proteins IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly associated with MDD, while CRP was not.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.