Peripheral biomarkers in Repeated Ketamine Infusions Trial
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Clinical trial |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with Major Depressive Disorder |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Topics | Depression Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Antidepressant Endocrine system Peripheral Depression economics Clinical trial Glucocorticoid Immune system Anesthesia Immunology Hormone |
| Key findings | Repeated ketamine treatment reduced depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation but did not significantly alter plasma CRP levels, and affected morning salivary cortisol in a sex-dependent way. |
Abstract
Abnormalities in the endocrine and immune systems are well documented in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), however, the mechanisms by which the novel antidepressant treatment, ketamine, influences these physiological systems are unclear. This study examined the effects of repeated ketamine infusions on the endocrine and immune systems using the peripheral biomarkers C-reactive protein (CRP) and cortisol. While both depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation were reduced with repeated ketamine treatment, there was no significant change in plasma CRP levels throughout the clinical trial. Morning salivary cortisol did change throughout the clinical trial in a sex-dependent way. Further sex-specific investigation into ketamine's effect on glucocorticoid expression is needed to advance the knowledge of the underlying mechanisms of ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects to more effectively treat patients with depression.