Table 4 Studies examining alterations in the expression levels of stress-related genes.
Citation | Sample | Methods | Gene | Main findings | Tissue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cattaneo et al. 202038 | 130 MDD patients: 36 Treatment-responsive 36 Drug-free 58 Treatment-resistant 40 healthy controls | RT-qPCR | FKBP5, GR, SGK1 | Treatment-resistant and drug-free depressed patients had evidence of lower GR and higher FKBP5 mRNAs expression, Responsive patients were indistinguishable from controls. | Peripheral blood |
Spindola et al. 201726 | 20 MDD children and adolescents 49 participants without MDD with high levels of depressive symptoms (DS), 61 healthy controls | RT-qPCR | NR3C1 | Decreased mRNA levels of NR3C1 in MDD group compared with controls and to DS group. | Peripheral blood |
Anacker et al. 201397 | 25 MDD patients: 7 drug-free, 18 drugs naïve 14 healthy controls | Western blot RT-qPCR | SGK1 | Depressed patients had significantly higher SGK1 mRNA levels when compared with controls. | Peripheral blood |
Roy et al. 201794 | 14 MDD patients: 20 healthy controls | RT-qPCR MeDIP analysis | BDNF, FKBP5, CRHBP, NR3C1 | Increase in DNA methylation of stress-related genes BDNF, NR3C1, FKBP5 and CRHBP in MDD patients compared with healthy controls. | PBMC |
Iacob et al. 201395 | 23 females with medication refractory DD: 13 with MDD, 10 with BPD. 19 healthy controls | RT-qPCR | OXTR, NFKB1, NR3C1 | MDD patients showed increased expression levels of OXTR and confirmed a dysregulation in oxytocinergic signalling when compared with controls. | Peripheral blood leukocytes |
Teyssier et al. 201298 | 17 MDD patient 16 healthy controls | RT-qPCR | FOS, OGG1, STMN1, TERT, p16INK4a | OGG1, p16INK4a and STMN1 gene were significantly upregulated in the leucocytes of MDD patients. | Peripheral blood leukocytes |
