Multiple studies show an association between inflammatory markers and major depressive disorder (MDD). People with chronic low-grade inflammation may be at an increased risk of MDD, often in the form of sickness behaviors. We hypothesized that inflammation is predictive of the severity and the course of a subset of MDD symptoms, especially symptoms that overlap with sickness behavior, such as anhedonia, anorexia, low concentration, low energy, loss of libido, psychomotor slowness, irritability, and malaise. We tested the association between basal and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory markers with individual MDD symptoms (measured using the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report) over a period of up to 9 years using multivariate-adjusted mixed models in 1147–2872 Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) participants. At baseline, participants were on average 42.2 years old, 66.5% were women and 53.9% had a current mood or anxiety disorder. We found that basal and LPS-stimulated inflammatory markers were more strongly associated with sickness behavior symptoms at up to 9-year follow-up compared with non-sickness behavior symptoms of depression. However, we also found significant associations with some symptoms that are not typical of sickness behavior (e.g., sympathetic arousal among others). Inflammation was not related to depression as a unified syndrome but rather to the presence and the course of specific MDD symptoms, of which the majority were related to sickness behavior. Anti-inflammatory strategies should be tested in the subgroup of MDD patients who report depressive symptoms related to sickness behavior.

多项研究表明炎症标志物与重度抑郁症 (MDD) 之间存在关联。患有慢性低度炎症的人患重度抑郁症的风险可能会增加，通常表现为疾病行为。我们假设炎症可以预测 MDD 症状的严重程度和病程，尤其是与疾病行为重叠的症状，例如快感缺乏、厌食​​、注意力不集中、精力不足、性欲丧失、精神运动迟缓、易怒和不适。我们在 1147 年至 2872 年的荷兰使用多变量调整混合模型，在长达 9 年的时间里测试了基础和脂多糖 (LPS) 诱导的炎症标志物与个体 MDD 症状（使用抑郁症状学自我报告清单进行测量）之间的关联。抑郁和焦虑研究 (NESDA) 参与者。基线时，参与者平均年龄 42.2 岁，其中 66.5% 是女性，53.9% 目前患有情绪或焦虑障碍。我们发现，在长达 9 年的随访中，与抑郁症的非疾病行为症状相比，基础和 LPS 刺激的炎症标记物与疾病行为症状的相关性更强。然而，我们还发现与一些非典型疾病行为的症状（例如交感神经兴奋等）存在显着关联。炎症与抑郁症作为一种统一的综合征无关，而是与特定 MDD 症状的存在和病程有关，其中大多数与疾病行为有关。应在报告与疾病行为相关的抑郁症状的 MDD 患者亚组中测试抗炎策略。