Inflammatory markers and depression in Indian healthcare workers : A case-control study

Background. Mental health issues are a major global danger to public health. Most researchers and medical professionals are focusing on the significant role that inflammation plays in the onset and progression of depression. Healthcare professionals are vital members of society, but their mental health is failing. Research reveals that depression is linked with low-grade chronic neuroinflammation and reduced vitamin D levels. The current study’s goal is to explore the importance of inflammation in the pathophysiology of depression, including the biological basis of the link between vitamin D and depression and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 in healthcare workers who are suffering from depression, along with its variation as per the severity of the disease. Methods. The study comprised 68 healthcare workers (42.6% males and 57.4% females) whose overall psychological wellbeing was assessed with the help of the Generalized Health Questionnaire (GHQ – 12) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). The diagnosis of depression was further confirmed with the help of detailed mental status examination by a qualified psychiatrist, and an equal number of healthy age- and sex-matched healthcare workers were considered as controls. TNF-α, IL-6, and vitamin D levels were measured using appropriate methods, and statistical analysis was conducted for the gathered data. Results. TNF-α (pg/ml) and IL-6 (pg/ml) in depressed healthcare workers were significantly elevated, with means of 65.569±11.603 (p=0.0297) and 17.558±5.387 (p=0.0044), respectively, at baseline, compared to the baseline values of healthy healthcare workers. Furthermore, serum vitamin D levels (ng/ml) dropped significantly to a mean of 16.528±3.337 (p<0.001), which was again found to have a significant negative correlation (p<0.05) with inflammation, pointing to increased systemic inflammatory levels in depression. Conclusion. Elevated levels of inflammatory markers (TNF-α and IL-6) are also connected to higher levels of depression severity, in addition to lower serum vitamin D levels.