Background

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious mental health concern affecting approximately 17.22 % of new mothers worldwide. In addition to its obstetric effects, oxytocin (OXT) has also been considered to play a role in PPD. However, most previous studies exploring associations between PPD and OXT levels focus on easier accessible compartments such as blood or saliva.

Study aim

To explore the possible association between PPD and OXT levels, and to assess the interaction between peripheral secretion and central release of OXT.

Methods

In this study, we prospectively measured OXT concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), plasma and saliva of 94 women with elective cesarean section by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The participants were divided into the PPD group if the score of Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) ≥ 10 at 3 months postpartum, otherwise into the non-PPD (nPPD) group.

Results

The incidence of PPD was 30.85 %. OXT concentrations in CSF (r = −0.518, p < 0.001), plasma (r = −0.240, p = 0.020) and saliva (r = −0.263, p = 0.010) were negatively correlated with EPDS score, and were valuable for the prediction of PPD, with AUC and 95%CI of 0.890 (0.809–0.945), 0.683 (0.579–0.775) and 0.699 (0.596–0.790), respectively. Moreover, OXT concentrations in plasma (r = 0.407, p < 0.001) and saliva (r = 0.624, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with CSF OXT concentrations.

Limitations

Only full-term pregnant women undergoing elective cesarean section were included in this study, which may affect study generalizability.

Conclusions

The central and peripheral release of OXT is coordinated, and OXT level measured prenatally in CSF, plasma, or saliva is valuable for the prediction of PPD.

中文翻译：

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探索产后抑郁症与脑脊液、血浆和唾液中催产素水平之间的关联

背景

产后抑郁症 (PPD) 是一种严重的心理健康问题，影响全球约 17.22% 的新妈妈。除了产科效应外，催产素 (OXT) 也被认为在 PPD 中起作用。然而，大多数先前探索 PPD 和 OXT 水平之间关联的研究都集中在更容易获得的隔间，例如血液或唾液。

学习目的

探讨 PPD 与 OXT 水平之间可能存在的关联，并评估外周分泌与 OXT 中枢释放之间的相互作用。

方法

在这项研究中，我们通过酶联免疫吸附试验 (ELISA) 试剂盒前瞻性地测量了 94 名择期剖宫产女性的脑脊液 (CSF)、血浆和唾液中的 OXT 浓度。产后3个月爱丁堡产后抑郁量表（EPDS）评分≥10分的参与者分为PPD组，否则分为非PPD（nPPD）组。

结果

PPD的发生率为30.85%。脑脊液 ( r  = -0.518, p  < 0.001)、血浆 ( r  = -0.240, p  = 0.020) 和唾液 ( r  = -0.263, p  = 0.010) 中的 OXT 浓度与 EPDS 评分呈负相关，并且对预测 PPD，AUC 和 95%CI 分别为 0.890 (0.809–0.945)、0.683 (0.579–0.775) 和 0.699 (0.596–0.790)。此外，血浆 ( r  = 0.407, p  < 0.001) 和唾液 ( r  = 0.624, p  < 0.001) 中的 OXT 浓度与 CSF OXT 浓度呈正相关。

限制

本研究仅纳入接受择期剖宫产的足月孕妇，这可能会影响研究的普遍性。

结论

OXT 的中枢和外周释放是协调的，产前在脑脊液、血浆或唾液中测量的 OXT 水平对于预测 PPD 很有价值。