Demographic characteristics of the depressed patients (MD) and healthy controls (CON).

<p>Demographic characteristics of the depressed patients (MD) and healthy controls (CON).</p

Correlation analysis between the inflammatory marker serum concentrations (baseline) and the ACE methylation frequency over all 24 CpG sites of each probe.

<p>We found a significant inverse correlation between the methylation frequency and the serum baseline concentrations of ICAM-1 (r = −0.289, p = 0.02), E-selectin (r = −0.249, p = 0.04) and P-selectin (r = −0.333, p = 0.01); (Pearson’s correlation).</p

ACE serum concentrations (baseline) among the total sample, medication-free depressive patients (MD) and controls (CON) in relation to their methylation status in the (−456/−255) region of the ACE gene.

<p>Methylated probes showed lower ACE concentrations (p = 0.005, F = 8.1). This effect was also obvious in depressive patient (p = 0.03, F = 5.1). In the control group there was a similar pattern, but without statistical significance. *: p<0.05 (ANCOVA). Data are mean values ± s.e.m.</p

Frequency of DNA methylation in the investigated ACE promoter region.

<p>(a) Frequency of DNA methylation at 24 CpG sites, located in the (−456/−255) region of the ACE gene in depressive patients (MD) and healthy controls (CON); *: p<0.05 (χ2-test). (b) Sequence of the (−456/−255) region (italic, underlined) including the 24 investigated CpG sites (bold). (c) Frequency of methylation and non-methylation at the 24 CpG sites, located in the (−456/−255) region of the ACE gene in depressive patients (MD) and healthy controls (CON). Patients have a significantly higher methylation status than the healthy controls (p = 0.008, χ2 = 7.1, df = 1). *: p<0.05 (χ2-test).</p

Frequency of DNA methylation at 24 CpG sites, located in the (−456/−255) region of the ACE gene in human post mortem samples of hippocampus and cortex from 13 control individuals.

<p>Frequency of DNA methylation at 24 CpG sites, located in the (−456/−255) region of the ACE gene in human post mortem samples of hippocampus and cortex from 13 control individuals.</p

Serum concentrations of inflammatory markers (baseline) among medication-free depressive patients in relation to their methylation status in the (−456/−255) region of the ACE gene.

<p>Patients with methylated CpG sites in the (−456/−255) region showed decreased concentrations of all inflammatory markers compared to unmethylated patient samples (not statistically significant).</p