Association between baseline serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels and response to electroconvulsive therapy

• Published in: Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica Vol. 129; no. 6; pp. 461 - 466
• Main Authors: Minelli, A., Maffioletti, E., Bortolomasi, M., Conca, A., Zanardini, R., Rillosi, L., Abate, M., Giacopuzzi, M., Maina, G., Gennarelli, M., Bocchio-Chiavetto, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-06-2014; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; antidepressants; Antidepressive Agents - administration & dosage; Antidepressive Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - blood; Depressive Disorder, Major - therapy; Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant - blood; Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant - therapy; Electroconvulsive therapy; electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); Electroconvulsive Therapy - methods; Female; Humans; major depressive disorder (MDD); Male; Medical sciences; Mental depression; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Mood disorders; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychiatry; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Severity of Illness Index; Treatment Outcome; Treatments; Vascular endothelial growth factor; vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors - blood; Mood disorder; Electroconvulsive therapy; Psychotropic; biomarkers; Biological marker; Depression; vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); antidepressants; major depressive disorder (MDD); electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); Treatment; Vascular endothelium growth factor; Antidepressant agent
• ISSN: 0001-690X; 1600-0447
• DOI: 10.1111/acps.12187

Objective
Several studies have shown that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is implicated in different neuronal processes involved in major depressive disorder (MDD) and in the mechanisms of action of antidepressants.
The aim of this study was to investigate whether VEGF serum levels before treatment might be associated with the antidepressant response.
Method
Two groups of patients were enrolled. One was composed of 50 MDD patients receiving an antidepressant drug treatment. Illness severity was measured before the treatment (T0) and after 12 weeks (T1). The second group was composed of 67 treatment‐resistant depressed (TRD) patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Illness severity was assessed before the treatment (T0) and 1 month after the end of ECT (T1). Blood samples for VEGF measurements were collected for both groups at the baseline (T0).
Results
A significant correlation was observed between baseline VEGF serum levels and the percentage reduction in depressive symptomatology after ECT (P = 0.003). In particular, VEGF levels at baseline were significantly lower in patients showing no response to ECT at follow‐up (P = 0.008). No correlation between T0 VEGF concentrations and drug treatment outcome was found.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that VEGF plays a role in the mechanism of response to ECT.