Glycoprotein Biomarkers for Differential Diagnosis of Depression

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K07946
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52030:Psychiatry-related
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: Yamagata Hirotaka 山口大学, 医学部, 特別医学研究員 (10549934)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 關 友恵 山口大学, 医学部, 特別医学研究員 (50821865)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: うつ病 / バイオマーカー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Using lectin, we performed a pull-down assay of plasma proteins from healthy and patients with depression. After electrophoresis of the samples and silver staining, we found that four bands were altered in patients with depression compared to healthy subjects. These bands were analyzed by mass spectrometry, and two glycoproteins were identified as strong candidates. One of the proteins was also found to be altered in patients with depression by Western blotting.

Free Research Field

精神科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

うつ病の診断は、ICD10やDSM-5のような症状の組み合わせから判断する操作的診断法しかない。そのため、客観的で簡便なバイオマーカーの発見が切に望まれている。うつ病診断のための血漿バイオマーカーが同定されることで、プライマリーケア等でうつ病診断が容易かつ客観的に行えるようになる。血液検査でうつ病診断や他の精神疾患が鑑別できるようになれば、薬剤選択が容易となり、治療期間短縮が見込まれる。