BackgroundSo far, studies on possible association of plasma lipid levels and depressive disorder are contradictory. This prospective work aimed at assessing a plasma lipid profile in individuals with major depression and healthy controls.MethodsIn total, 94 patients with major depression and 152 healthy controls were included in this prospective study. After an overnight fasting state of 12 h they underwent blood drawing for triglyzerides (TG), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)- and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol measurements. All participants were evaluated in a clinical interview and filled out the self-rating Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) scale to identify depressive symptomatology.ResultsNinety-four patients with major depression showed significantly higher median (interquartile range) plasma TG levels (108.0 [75.8–154.1] vs. 84.0 [63.0–132.2] mg/dL, P = 0.014) and significantly lower HDL-cholesterol levels (55.0 [46.9–123.0] vs. 61.5 [47.4–72.6] mg/dL, P = 0.049) compared to 152 individuals without depression, respectively. Total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were observed slightly higher in patients with major depression. Significant positive correlation was found between TG, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations and the BDI-II score (p = 0.027, 0.048 and 0.018), and in tendency negative correlation between HDL-cholesterol levels and the BDI-II score (P = 0.091), respectively.ConclusionsDepressive individuals were found with adverse plasma lipid patterns of higher TG and lower HDL-cholesterol levels compared to healthy controls. On this basis, the authors would suggest the implementation of routine lipid measurements in order to stratify these patients by their cardiovascular risk.

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BackgroundCurrent literature proposes associations between homocysteine (HCY), folic acid (FA), vitamin B12 metabolism and depression. However, the exact underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed at evaluating a possible link between primary adult-type lactose malabsorption (PALM), HCY, FA and vitamin B12 metabolism and depressive disorder.MethodsPlasma levels of HCY, FA and vitamin B12 were determined in 78 patients with PALM and 160 individuals with lactase persistence sub-grouped by the presence or absence of major depression.ResultsIn 78 patients with PALM, the subgroup of 22 individuals with major depression showed significantly higher median (interquartile range) HCY (10.10 [8.46–12.03] vs. 8.9 [7.54–9.86] μmol/L, p = 0.029) and lower plasma FA levels (5.7 [4.68–9.14] vs. 6.95 [5.24–10.56] μmol/L, p = 0.272) compared to the subgroup of 56 individuals without depression, respectively. No such associations could be observed for those 160 individuals without PALM (i.e., lactase persistence)Plasma HCY levels were positively correlated with depressive symptoms (p = 0.052), and showed negative correlations with FA (p = < 0.001) and vitamin B12 (p = 0.029), respectively.ConclusionDepressed individuals with PALM were found with significantly higher HCY and lower FA levels compared to non-depressed individuals with PALM, however, this association was absent in the subgroup of lactase persistent individuals. These findings suggest an association between increased HCY levels, lactose malabsorption and depression.

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