BACKGROUND Most studies of immune dysregulation in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders have focused on peripheral cytokines, but literature from non-perinatal mood disorders also implicates T-cell defects. We sought to characterize proportions of T-cell subtypes in women with postpartum depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS We enrolled 21 women with postpartum depression (PPD), 39 healthy postpartum controls, and 114 healthy non-postpartum women. Blood was collected in sodium-heparin EDTA tubes and was analyzed using flow cytometry. We conducted statistical tests including linear regression analysis that were aimed at determining differences in proportions of T cell populations among groups. RESULTS Mean counts of T-cells (all CD3+ T cells), T-helper cells, (CD3+CD4+ T cells), and T-cytotoxic cells (CD3+CD8+ T cells) were significantly increased in healthy postpartum women compared to healthy non-postpartum controls (p < 0.001, p = 0.007, and p = 0.002, respectively), but not in women with PPD. The increases in healthy postpartum women were driven by increases in TH1 cells and T regulatory cells, increases that were nonexistent or attenuated in women with postpartum depression. Mean counts of CD4+ T-helper memory cells were also increased in healthy postpartum women (p = 0.009), but slightly decreased in women with PPD (p = 0.066), when compared to healthy non-postpartum controls. CONCLUSIONS Our study confirms that the postpartum period in healthy women is a time of enhanced T cell activity. Women with postpartum depression failed to show physiological enhanced T-cell activity postpartum, and future research is needed to elucidate etiological mechanisms and consequences.

中文翻译：

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T 细胞缺陷和产后抑郁症

背景 大多数关于围产期情绪和焦虑症免疫失调的研究都集中在外周细胞因子上，但非围产期情绪障碍的文献也涉及 T 细胞缺陷。我们试图表征产后抑郁症女性 T 细胞亚型的比例。材料与方法 我们招募了 21 名产后抑郁症 (PPD) 女性、39 名健康产后对照和 114 名健康非产后女性。将血液收集在肝素钠 EDTA 管中并使用流式细胞术进行分析。我们进行了包括线性回归分析在内的统计测试，旨在确定组间 T 细胞群比例的差异。结果 T 细胞（所有 CD3+ T 细胞）、T 辅助细胞（CD3+CD4+ T 细胞）、与健康的非产后对照组相比，健康产后女性的 T 细胞毒性细胞（CD3+CD8+T 细胞）显着增加（分别为 p < 0.001、p = 0.007 和 p = 0.002），但在 PPD 女性中则不然。健康产后妇女的增加是由 TH1 细胞和 T 调节细胞的增加驱动的，这些增加在产后抑郁症妇女中不存在或减弱。与健康的非产后对照组相比，健康产后女性的 CD4+ T 辅助记忆细胞的平均计数也有所增加（p = 0.009），但在患有 PPD 的女性中（p = 0.066）略有下降。结论 我们的研究证实，健康女性的产后时期是 T 细胞活性增强的时期。患有产后抑郁症的女性在产后未能表现出生理性增强的 T 细胞活性，