Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011570 (depression)
 172,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In ten patients with essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera with thrombocytosis we have investigated the therapeutic effect of recombinant alpha-2a interferon (Roceron-A) given subcutaneously in a maintenance dosage of 3 million units three times weekly. The aim was to normalize the platelet count (< or = 400 x 10(9)/L). One of the secondary aims was to study platelet activity measured as beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) in urine. All but one patient could administer the injections and in all patients a significant reduction in platelet values was seen. The treatment was discontinued in three patients due to side effects of interferon, two because of hair loss (one with irreversible alopecia), and one because of depression. Three patients developed antibodies to alpha-2a interferon and a concomitant rise in the platelet level; in one patient therapy was switched to leukocyte alpha-interferon with an excellent response. The initial levels of beta-TG were elevated in 9/10 patients and were significantly reduced at 6 months in 4/5 patients not developing antibodies. Six patients are still on alpha-interferon therapy with a long-term follow-up of 3-3.5 years. We conclude that alpha-interferon therapy may be an alternative in patients with thrombocytosis and/or complications necessitating treatment.
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PMID:Alpha-2a interferon therapy and antibody formation in patients with essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera with thrombocytosis. 786 24

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism is associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Its role regarding psychiatric disorders is controversial. It has been suggested to affect antidepressant treatment response and response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). In the present study, the association between APOE polymorphism and response to ECT in 119 patients with major depressive disorder was investigated. Moreover, a relation between APOE polymorphism and the age of onset of depression as well as the cognitive outcome of ECT was studied. In the whole population, no association was found between APOE polymorphism and response to ECT. However, in nonpsychotic patients, the epsilon2 allele tended to be more frequent in responders than nonresponders. Earlier onset of depression was observed in the patients with epsilon4 allele in late-life depression. There was no association between the APOE genotype and the cognitive change caused by ECT in the population as a whole. In women, however, epsilon2 allele may play a protective and epsilon4 allele a deleterious role in cognition during ECT.
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PMID:The apolipoprotein E polymorphism is not associated with response to electroconvulsive therapy in major depressive disorder. 1579 Nov 70

Interferon alfa2 (IFN-alpha2) is a parenterally administered cytokine used to treat patients with Hepatitis C and B, and malignancy. Interferon (INF) has a relatively high rate of central nervous system (CNS) adverse effects, including agitation, depression, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, suicidal thought and drug craving. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we studied patients with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who were not more than mildly clinically depressed at baseline for their CNS reaction to IFN-alpha2. During fMRI, patients underwent visual stimulation with pictures designed to induce feelings of depression. In the two patients who became clinically depressed or markedly anxious while on treatment with interferon, but not in patients who did not experience these effects, there was a significant activation in specific areas of the brain known to be involved with depression, along with an increase above baseline in the Beck Depression Scale for the patient who developed INF-induced depression. The activation pattern differed from that previously observed for endogenous depression, indicating that INF-induced depression may differ in its underlying neuropathology. Functional magnetic resonance imaging can be an important tool in understanding and monitoring for (INF and other) medication-induced CNS effects, and response to treatment.
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PMID:Use of fMRI to predict psychiatric adverse effects of interferon treatment for Hepatitis C - preliminary report. 1930 May 95

Major depressive disorder (MDD) often occurs during pegylated IFN-alpha2 (IFN-alpha) treatment. Identifying who is at risk for MDD in this population is essential, and epidemiological studies suggest that sleep may be related to depression risk. Controlling for pre-existing depression symptoms, we therefore examined whether sleep quality prior to IFN-alpha treatment would predict subsequent MDD incidence during IFN-alpha treatment. Adults with hepatitis C but without current clinical MDD (n=86) were evaluated prior to IFN-alpha treatment and then prospectively monitored during treatment using self-report measures of sleep quality (PSQI), depression (BDI), and anger and irritability (AIAQ), as well as with Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I). During IFN-alpha treatment, 19% developed MDD, 19% developed subsyndromal depression with irritability, and one developed mania. Controlling for baseline depression symptoms and past history of depression, patients with worse sleep quality (PSQI > or = 10) prior to treatment had a significantly shorter time until they developed MDD or any severe psychiatric problem. These findings may have important implications for understanding, predicting, and possibly preventing depression, particularly in individuals treated with IFN-alpha.
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PMID:Poor sleep quality predicts onset of either major depression or subsyndromal depression with irritability during interferon-alpha treatment. 2038 76


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