Psychiatry Research EG

Background Study of the correlation between uric acid (UA) and depression will help to establish evidence for, or against, the new hypothesis stating that the activation of inflammatory, oxidative, and nitrosative stress pathways is a key pathophysiological factor in depression, and reduced antioxidant reserve may coexist with the increased consumption of UA as a scavenger. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum UA levels are different between drug-naive depressed patients and healthy controls and to compare UA levels in those depressed patients before and after treatment. Materials and methods The serum UA levels and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores were estimated in 120 patients with major depressive disorder before and after 5 weeks of treatment with antidepressants. In addition, serum UA levels were measured in 120 healthy controls. Results Drug-naive depressed patients had significantly lower UA levels (3.8±0.93 mg/dl) than the healthy control group (4.57±0.83 mg/dl, P<0.001). We also found that the UA levels of depressive patients increased significantly after 5 weeks of treatment with antidepressants. Conclusion This study presents further proof of the involvement of UA in the pathogenesis and treatment of depression.