Clinical trial NCT04159207: A Longitudinal Study of Inflammatory Pathways in Depression
Official title: A Longitudinal Study of Inflammatory Pathways in Depression
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder
Suicide, Attempted
Keywords: Depression
Suicide
Inflammation
Kynurenine
Cytokine
Lead sponsor: Van Andel Research Institute
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
name: Columbia University
name: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
First posted: 2019-11-12
Enrollment: 130
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: People who are above age of 18, have a Major Depressive Disorder diagnosis and no ongoing immune disorders.

Brief summary: Suicide accounts for at least 1 million deaths globally each year. This is likely a significant underestimate, because suicide is under-reported in many countries. In the US, over 42,000 people die from suicide annually. Despite increased focus on identification and treatment, the rate of suicide has increased steadily over the past 15 years.

Our project aims both to improve our understanding of factors that increase the risk for suicide by comparing blood biomarkers associated with inflammation in patients with depression without suicidal behavior and patients with depression and suicidal behavior. The 160 individuals in this study will be followed with psychiatric assessments and blood samples at repeated time points over one year.

Detailed description: Suicide is a leading cause of death in the US, and its rate continues to increase. Most individuals who die by suicide are in contact with health care, but clinical risk assessment is challenging. Inflammatory biomarkers have tentatively been linked to suicide. However, longitudinal studies establishing their accuracy in tracking suicidal behavior and critical symptoms are lacking. This study is a longitudinal study, with 1,280 total assessments planned, measuring suicidal ideation and behavior, associated clinical symptoms and blood biomarkers of inflammation.

Our overriding aim is to identify a set of biomarkers that distinguish patients with suicidal behavior from depressive patients without suicidal behavior. Further, the investigators intend to define biomarkers that are elevated during active suicidal behavior (at- risk periods) within the same patients (longitudinally).

Our working model is that inflammation (via pro-inflammatory cytokines) induces the kynurenine pathway, leading to an increased production of neurotoxic kynurenine metabolites (i.e., the NMDA-receptor agonist quinolinic acid, or others), which trigger suicidal behavior. The Investigators predict that immunomodulatory cells and molecules, including cytokines and kynurenine metabolites in plasma, may constitute biomarkers of suicidal behavior. The Investigators also predict that elevated inflammatory markers in suicidal individuals will be associated with epigenetic changes, regulating the expression of kynurenine enzymes in blood cells.

Aims:

1. Establish biomarkers that indicate risk for active suicidal behavior;
2. Determine epigenetic markers in the blood of patients with suicidal behavior.

In Aim 1, the investigators will enroll patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and active suicidal behavior (planning or attempts), and MDD patients without current or past suicidal behavior. Each subject will be assessed at eight time-points over one year. The Investigators will measure interleukins and acute phase reactants as well as tryptophan, serotonin and metabolites of the kynurenine pathway in peripheral blood.

For aim 2, the investigators will perform whole-genome methylation analysis using Illumina EPIC arrays, followed by gene pathway analyses, in blood of the enrolled patients.

Our project will aid the implementation of biomarkers in clinical care for patients with suicide risk, in order to enable intensified intervention during critical time-points. The biological insight obtained here can guide therapeutic development specifically targeting suicidality, with the ultimate goal of reducing suicide numbers.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Men and women ages 18 years and older will be included in the study.
* 80 who are diagnosed with MDD by SCID but do not endorse current or past suicidal behaviors.
* 80 who are diagnosed with MDD by SCID and endorse current suicidal behavior as defined by C-SSRS (preparatory acts, aborted or interrupted attempts, as well as completed attempts).
* English speaking.
* Willing and able to take part of the different steps in the study, including follow-up interviews and blood draws.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Vulnerable populations (e.g. incarcerated individuals).
* Subjects with dementia or otherwise cognitively impaired subjects with difficulty understanding the study procedures.
* Patients with a primary psychiatric diagnosis other than MDD.
* Patients with an active somatic disorder primarily involving the immune system (autoimmune diseases such as Crohns disease, multiple sclerosis, or rheumatoid arthritis; or hematological diseases such as lymphoma or leukemia).
* Patients on chronic and systemic immunomodulatory treatment. Examples are patients with a liver- or kidney transplant or medications used for disorders involving the immune system, as mentioned above. Examples of immunomodulatory treatments are cyclosporin, azathioprine, infliximab, corticosteroid treatment.
* Patients undergoing active treatment for any form of cancer (chemotherapy or immunomodulatory treatments).

Primary outcomes:
measure: Suicidal behavior of participants
timeFrame: One year.
measure: Establish metabolic biomarkers that indicate risk for suicidal behavior
timeFrame: One year.
measure: Establish inflammatory biomarkers that indicate risk for suicidal behavior
timeFrame: One year.
measure: Determine epigenetic marks in blood cells from patients with suicidal behavior
timeFrame: One year.
measure: Functional validation of the significant methylation changes
timeFrame: One year.
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Grand Rapids
country: United States
facility: Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
state: Michigan
Study officials:
affiliation: Van Andel Research Institute
name: Lena C Brundin, M.D.; Ph.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
name: Eric Achtyes, M.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Columbia University Health Sciences
name: Joseph Mann, M.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
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