Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33756305›Full record

ArticleJournal of affective disorders2021

Evidence of upregulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in late-life depression.

Nunzio Pomara, Davide Bruno, Chelsea Reichert Plaska, Anilkumar Pillai, Jaime Ramos-Cejudo, Ricardo Osorio, Bruno P Imbimbo, Amanda Heslegrave, Henrik Zetterberg, Kaj Blennow

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of affective disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 39% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Identifying subphenotypes of patients undergoing post-operative delirium assessment.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
    Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 7 institutions in 4 countries.

Nunzio PomaraNathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Pathology, New York University-Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: nunzio.pomara@nyumc.org.
Davide BrunoLiverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Chelsea Reichert PlaskaNathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
Anilkumar PillaiDepartment of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA; Research and Development, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA.
Jaime Ramos-CejudoDepartment of Psychiatry and Pathology, New York University-Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Ricardo OsorioNathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Pathology, New York University-Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Bruno P ImbimboResearch & Development, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Parma, Italy.
Amanda HeslegraveDepartment of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, United Kingdom.
Henrik ZetterbergDepartment of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden.
Kaj BlennowDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden.
Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research · USSahlgrenska University Hospital · SEAugusta University · USChiesi (Italy) · ITLiverpool John Moores University · GBNYU Langone Health · USUK Dementia Research Institute · GB

Funding

Research Education ComponentP30AG066512 · NIA · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI Mary Sherman Mittelman · 2020 to 2026
$28.4M
Complement Component, Neuroinflammation and DepressionR01MH120876 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI PILLAI, ANILKUMAR · 2019 to 2023
$1.9M
Plasma and CSF Abeta peptides in late-onset major depressionR01MH080405 · NIMH · NATHAN S. KLINE INSTITUTE FOR PSYCH RES · PI POMARA, NUNZIO · 2007 to 2011
$1.6M
Chronic stress, complement immune system and behaviorR21MH121959 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI PILLAI, ANILKUMAR · 2019 to 2020
$424k
BLRD VA I01 BX004758NIA NIH HHS P30 AG066512NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH080405NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH120876NIMH NIH HHS R21 MH121959
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDecreased cholinergic tone associated with increased proinflammatory cytokines has been observed in several human diseases associated with low-grade inflammation. We examined if this attenuated cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) mechanism contributed to increased neuroinflammation observed in depression.

methodsWe measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cholinergic markers (AChE and BChE activities) in 28 individuals with longstanding late-life major depression (LLMD) and 19 controls and their relationship to central and peripheral levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8). Additionally, we examined if these cholinergic indices were related to CSF markers of microglial activation and neuroinflammation (sTREM2 and complement C3).

resultsCompared with controls, LLMD patients had a significant reduction in CSF BChE levels. Lower CSF BChE and AChE activities were associated with lower CSF markers of microglial and neuroinflammation (sTREM2 and C3). In addition, in LLMD patients we found an inverse relationship between peripheral marker of inflammation (plasma IL-6) and CSF BChE and AChE levels.

conclusionsOur results suggest an upregulation of the CAP mechanism in LLMD with an elevation in peripheral markers of inflammation and concomitant reduction in markers of glial activation associated with a higher cholinergic tone. Future studies should confirm these findings in a larger sample including individuals with acute and more severe depressive episodes and across all ages.

Indexed as

DepressionNeuroimmunomodulationAcetylcholinesteraseCholinesterasesHumansUp-RegulationAcetylcholinesteraseCholinesterasesAcetylcholinesteraseButyrylcholinesteraseC3Cerebrospinal fluidCholinergic anti-inflammatory pathwayLate-life major depression

Identifiers

PMID33756305
PMCPMC8058311
OpenAlexW3134167628

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.