Demographic data of subjects.

<p>Data show the mean ± SD. Figures in parenthesis represent the range.</p><p>WHOQOL-BREF: World Health Organization Quality of Life-Short Version.</p><p>SASS: Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale, SIGH-D: 17 items of the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.</p>*<p>Student's t-test, ⁺Mann-Whitney's U-test.</p

Scatter plot of MMP-9 serum levels in patients with MDD and healthy controls.

<p>Serum levels of MMP-9 in patients with MDD did not differ from those of normal controls.</p

Relationships between MMP-9 serum levels and clinical variables in patients with MDD.

<p>(A): There was a significant negative correlation (ρ = −0.366, p = 0.002) between MMP-9 serum levels and WHOQOL-BREF scores. (B): There was a significant negative correlation (ρ = −0.355, p = 0.003) between MMP-9 serum levels and SASS scores. (C): There was a significant positive correlation (ρ = 0.397, p = 0.001) between MMP-9 serum levels and the SIGH-D score.</p

Scatter plot of proBDNF and mature BDNF serum levels in patients with MDD and healthy controls.

<p>(A): Serum levels of proBDNF in 20 patients with MDD and 29 healthy subjects were below the minimum detectable concentration (0.5 ng/mL) of the proBDNF ELISA kits. Serum levels of proBDNF in patients with MDD did not differ from those of normal controls. (B): In contrast, serum levels (21.09±5.60 ng/mL) of mature BDNF in patients with MDD, were significantly lower than those (23.11±5.90 ng/mL) of normal controls.</p

Relationships between clinical variables in patients with MDD.

<p>(A): There was a significant negative correlation (r = −0.705, p<0.001) between the SIGH-D score and WHOQOL-BREF score in patients. (B): There was a significant negative correlation (r = −0.579, p<0.001) between the SIGH-D and SASS scores in patients. (C): There was a positive correlation (r = 0.404, p = 0.001) between the CogState composite score and QOL score in patients. (D): There was a positive correlation (r = 0.371, p = 0.002) between the CogState composite score and SASS score in patients.</p

Increased Serum Levels of Oxytocin in ‘Treatment Resistant Depression in Adolescents (TRDIA)’ Group

<div><p>Objective</p><p>‘Treatment-resistant depression’ is depression that does not respond to an adequate regimen of evidence-based treatment. Treatment-resistant depression frequently becomes chronic. Children with treatment-resistant depression might also develop bipolar disorder (BD). The objective of this study was to determine whether serum levels of oxytocin (OXT) in treatment-resistant depression in adolescents (TRDIA) differ from non-treatment-resistant depression in adolescents (non-TRDIA) or controls. We also investigated the relationships between serum OXT levels and the clinical symptoms, severity, and familial histories of adolescent depressive patients.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We measured serum OXT levels: TRDIA (n = 10), non-TRDIA (n = 27), and age- and sex- matched, neurotypical controls (n = 25). Patients were evaluated using the Children’s Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) and the Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children-Japanese Version (DSRS-C-J). The patients were also assessed retrospectively using the following variables: familial history of major depressive disorder and BD (1st degree or 2nd degree), history of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, recurrent depressive disorder (RDD), history of antidepressant activation.</p><p>Results</p><p>Serum levels of OXT among the TRDIA and non-TRDIA patients and controls differed significantly. Interestingly, the rates of a family history of BD (1st or 2nd degree), RDD and a history of antidepressant activation in our TRDIA group were significantly higher than those of the non-TRDIA group.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Serum levels of OXT may play a role in the pathophysiology of TRDIA.</p></div

The serum levels of OXT in TRDIA, non-TRDIA and controls.

<p>○ is drug naïve subjects. ● is medicated patients. Kruskal-Wallis test detected significant (<i>p =</i> 0.031) differences in OXT serum levels among the TRDIA patients (n = 10), non-TRDIA patients (n = 27) and controls (n = 25). Abbreviations: OXT, Oxytocin; TRDIA, treatment resistant depression in adolescents.</p