ArticlePsychosomatic medicine2024
Circulating Cell-Free Mitochondrial DNA and Depressive Symptoms Among Low-Active Adults Who Smoke.
Article in Psychosomatic medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mitochondrial-inflammation crosstalk in major depressive disorder: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic implications.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Blood circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA as a potential biomarker for major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis.Translational psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Diurnal dynamics and psychobiological regulation of cell-free mitochondrial and nuclear DNA in human saliva.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025Article
- Cell-free mitochondrial DNA as a pro-inflammatory agent in blood circulation: mechanisms, therapeutic implications, and clinical challenges in immune dysregulation.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesMitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Levels of circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA (cf-mtDNA) are observed to be altered in depression. However, the few studies that have measured cf-mtDNA in depression have reported conflicting findings. This study examined cf-mtDNA and depressive symptoms in low-active adults who smoke.
methodsParticipants were adults 18 to 65 years old ( N = 109; 76% female) with low baseline physical activity and depressive symptoms recruited for a smoking cessation study. Self-report measures assessed depression severity, positive and negative affect, and behavioral activation. Blood was collected and analyzed for cf-mtDNA. Relationships between depressive symptoms and cf-mtDNA were examined with correlations and linear regression.
resultsLevels of cf-mtDNA were associated with categorically defined depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score >15), lower positive affect, and decreased behavioral activation ( p < .05). Relationships remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, and nicotine dependence. In a linear regression model including all depressive symptom measures as predictors, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale group and lower positive affect remained significant.
conclusionsThis work suggests that mitochondrial changes are associated with depressive symptoms in low-active adults who smoke. Higher levels of cf-mtDNA in association with depression and with lower positive affect and decreased behavioral activation are consistent with a possible role for mitochondrial function in depressive symptoms.
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Registered trials
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