Depression May Increase Viral Load In HIV-infected Women

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Title: Depression May Decrease Natural Killer Cell Activity And Increase

Viral Load In HIV-infected Women

Am J Psychiatry 2002; 159: 1752-1759. " Association of Depression With Viral

Load, CD8 T Lymphocytes, and Natural Killer Cells in Women With HIV

Infection. " 10/11/2002 09:47:37 AM. By A. Skolnick

Depression may impair the function of killer lymphocytes in HIV-infected

women and lead to an increase in activated CD8 T lymphocytes and viral load.

Clinical and epidemiological studies have implicated depression as a risk

factor in the morbidity and mortality of many human diseases.

Dwight L. , MD, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and colleagues sought to

determine if depression was associated with alterations in cellular immunity

in HIV-infected women. Sixty-three HIV-seropositive women and 30

HIV-seronegative women underwent extensive clinical, psychiatric, and

immunological evaluations as part of an ongoing longitudinal study conducted

at two sites. CBC counts and flow cytometry panels were conducted and

natural killer cell activity was assayed for all subjects, while viral loads

were determined for HIV-seropositive subjects.

The overall rate of major depression for seropositive women was 15.87 percent

and 10 percent for seronegative women. Seropositive women had higher depressive

symptom scores than did seronegative subjects (Hamilton Depression Scale

mean=8.62 versus 5.67, respectively). Both groups had similar anxiety scores,

the investigators reported.

However, depressive and anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with

higher activated CD8 T lymphocyte counts and higher viral load levels. Major

depression was associated with significantly lower natural killer cell activity.

Depressive and anxiety symptom scores showed a similar correlation.

" Our findings provide the first evidence that depression may alter the function

of killer lymphocytes in HIV-infected women and suggest that depression may

decrease natural killer cell activity and lead to an increase in activated CD8 T

lymphocytes and viral load, " the researchers write. The rate of current major

depression in these HIV-seropositive women (none of whom had current substance

abuse) is approximately twice that reported for HIV-seropositive men.

The rate is also consistent with studies of women with other medical illnesses

and with a recent epidemiology study that associated depression with mortality

in HIV-infected women with chronic depressive symptoms. " Depression may have a

negative impact on innate immunity. Examination of killer lymphocytes may

prove useful in assessing the potential relationship between depression,

immunity, and HIV disease progression in women " they conclude.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=R

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