Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China

Abstract 

In recent decades, major depression has become more prevalent and research has shown that immune activation and cytokine production may be involved. This review is mainly focused on the contribution of inflammation to depression. We first briefly introduce the inflammatory biomarkers of depression, then discuss the sources of cytokines in the brain, and finally describe the neuroimmunological mechanisms underlying the association between inflammation and depression.

Keywords

depression; infl ammation; cytokines; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; 5-HT; neuroplasticity

[SpringerLink]