Inflammatory Biomarkers in Adolescent Depression
Summary
Adolescent depression is increasingly understood as a disorder in which immune system dysregulation plays a central role. Inflammatory biomarkers—molecules released during immune activation—offer insight into the biological substrates that accompany mood disturbances in young people. Commonly studied markers include proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), as well as acute-phase proteins like C-reactive protein (CRP). Elevated levels of these biomarkers have been linked to symptom severity, treatment resistance and cognitive impairments during depressive episodes. Mechanistically, peripheral inflammation may influence brain function through altered blood–brain barrier permeability, microglial activation, and modulation of neurotransmitter systems. Recent work highlights sex differences in inflammatory signatures, developmental stage-specific profiles and the potential of specialised mediators of resolution such as resolvin D1. Understanding these biomarkers in adolescence is critical for early detection, stratified interventions and monitoring therapeutic response. Globally, inflammation-based markers promise more personalised approaches to mental health care, particularly in contexts where conventional symptom-based diagnosis may lag behind biological changes.
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Inflammatory Biomarkers in Adolescent Depression publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in inflammatory biomarkers in adolescent depression across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Cytokine: A small protein released by immune cells that modulates inflammation and cell signalling.
C-reactive protein (CRP): An acute-phase protein produced by the liver in response to systemic inflammation.
NLRP3 inflammasome: A multiprotein complex that activates inflammatory caspases and promotes secretion of IL-1β and IL-18.
Resolvin D1: A specialised pro-resolving lipid mediator derived from omega-3 fatty acids that counteracts inflammation.
Interferon signalling: A cascade triggered by interferon proteins that enhances antiviral and immunoregulatory responses.
Complement system: A series of plasma proteins that amplify inflammatory responses and assist in pathogen clearance.
References
- Inflammation and immune system pathways as biological signatures of adolescent depression—the IDEA-RiSCo study. Translational Psychiatry (2024).
- The relationship between serum resolvin D1, NLRP3, cytokine levels, and adolescents with first-episode medication-naïve major depressive disorder. BMC Psychiatry (2024).
- Sex-specific inflammatory markers of risk and presence of depression in adolescents. Journal of Affective Disorders (2023).
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