Association of depression with inflammation in hospitalized patients of myocardial Infarction

Objective: the aim of this study was to examine the associations between depression and inflammatory markers in patients admitted to the hospital for myocardial infarction. methods: inflammatory cytokines, including high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-crp), interleukin (il)- 1β, il-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (tnf-α) were assessed in a group of 75 depressed participants (score of ≥ 12) and compared to a control group of 75 nondepressed participants (score < 12), all who had been admitted to the hospital for myocardial infarction. the presence of depressive symptoms was assessed using the beck depressive symptoms inventory ii scale (bdi-ii). results: depressed myocardial infarction participants had significantly greater levels of tnf-α (t = 2.070, p < 0.05) compared with control myocardial infarction participants. the bdi-ii score was positively correlated with tnf-α levels (r = 0.222, p < 0.05). conclusions: these results indicate that the presence of depressive symptoms is positively associated with tnf-α levels among patients who have suffered from myocardial infarction.