Secretory Acid Sphingomyelinase in the Serum of Medicated Patients Predicts the Prospective Course of Depression.

ABSTRACT: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent and devastating psychiatric illness with strong individual and societal burdens. However, biomarkers to improve the limited preventive and therapeutic approaches are scarce. Multilevel evidence suggests that the pathophysiological involvement of sphingolipids particularly increases the levels of ceramides and the ceramide hydrolyzing enzyme, acid sphingomyelinase. The activity of secretory acid sphingomyelinase (S-ASM) and routine blood parameters were determined in the serum of patients with current (unmedicated n = 63, medicated n = 66) and remitted (n = 39) MDD and healthy subjects (n = 61). Depression severity and anxiety and their 3-weeks prospective course of treatment were assessed by psychometric inventories. S-ASM activity was

SUBMITTER: Muhle C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6617165 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature