The HD project" - biomarkers of depression in HIV newly diagnosed patients

Background: Inflammatory mediators may be relevant to explain the frequent comorbidity between depression, neurocognitive disorders and HIV. HIV induces activation of inflammatory mediators, mainly cytokines, that have been involved in the onset of depression and response to antidepressant treatment. Aim: To identify recurring profiles of inflammatory biomarkers subtending depression, effectiveness of antidepressants and neurocognitive disorders among HIV-infected individuals. Method: All adult newly HIV-diagnosed out-patients attending HIV clinics in three towns of Northern Italy will be screened, assessed for depression and studied immunologically and for neurocognitive disorders. The study-specific set of immune biomarkers will consist of: IL-1β and α, IL-6, IL-23, IL-18, IFN-γ, TNFα, MCP1, IL-8, BDNF, FGF-8, CNTF; IL1Ra, IL18Rα type II, IL18Rβ short, IL18BP. Results: 17 patients have been enrolled so far: of these, 6 (35%) were positive to PHQ-9 screening. Three of the 6 PHQ-9-positive patients were positive to the diagnostic assessment for depression. No neurocognitive disorders were found among the 17 patients. As the project will develop, it is expected that frequency of depression, neurocognitive disorders and effective antidepressant treatment will be found to correlate to the profile of immune biomarkers. These findings might help to understand the etiology of depression in HIV, and specifically the role of inflammation and immunological changes.