Influence of fluvoxamine on plasma interleukin-6 or clinical improvement in patients with major depressive disorder.

Objectives: The etiology of depression remains unknown. There is, however, a growing body of evidence that cytokines are involved in the pathophysiology of depression. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of fluvoxamine on plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and on clinical improvement of the depressive state.

Subjects And Methods: Thirty patients who met the criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) were enrolled in the study. Thirteen were male and 17 were female, and their ages ranged from 26 to 70 years (mean ± standard deviation 45.0±14.2). The patients were treated with fluvoxamine for 8 weeks. The dosages of fluvoxamine varied among the patients and, based on ethical considerations, were not fixed.

Results: The fluvoxamine doses were positively related to plasma fluvoxamine levels ( =0.8798, <0.001). A significant correlation was observed between the patients' plasma IL-6 levels and their 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD17) scores ( =0.4555, =0.0010). A positive correlation was found between the delta plasma IL-6 (week 0-week 8) and the delta HAMD17 (week 0-week 8) ( =0.5226, =0.002).

Conclusion: Effect of fluvoxamine on IL-6 is partially associated with its clinical efficacy for MDD.