Different cytokines and Lipid Profile in Suicidal and Non Suicidal Adults with Major depression

We tested whether tumor necrosis factor-alpha, Interlukin-1β, and lipid profile might be associated with suicide attempts in adult patients with major depression. Plasma levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Interleukin-1β, and lipid profile were analyzed in 60 adult patients with major depression diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria for Major depression (22 suicidal attempters and 38 patients without suicidal ideas), and 30 healthy controls. At univariate analyses, plasma level of Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha and Triglyceride were significantly higher in suicide attemptersand non-suicidal attempter depressed patients than those of healthy control (all p<0.05), while the plasma level of Total Cholesterol and Low density lipoprotein among suicide attempters were significantly lower than those non-suicidal attempter depressed patients or healthy control subjects (p<0.05). With exception of TC and LDL, the results of the study do not concomitant with the supposition that pro inflammatory cytokines and lipids levelsare associated withsuicide attemptsin adults with major depression. The effective biological markers identification in suicidal attempters still represents a challenge for future research.