Proinflammatory cytokines in the prefrontal cortex of teenage suicide victims

Abstract

Teenage suicide is a major public health concern, but its neurobiology is not well understood. Proinflammatory cytokines play an important role in stress and in the pathophysiology of depression-two major risk factors for suicide. Cytokines are increased in the serum of patients with depression and suicidal behavior; however, it is not clear if similar abnormality in cytokines occurs in brains of suicide victims. We therefore measured the gene and protein expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tissue necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of 24 teenage suicide victims and 24 matched normal control subjects. Our results show that the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly increased in Brodmann area 10 (BA-10) of suicide victims compared with normal control subjects. These results suggest an important role for IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the pathophysiology of suicidal behavior and that proinflammatory cytokines may be an appropriate target for developing therapeutic agents.

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Figures

Figure 1

Protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the postmortem brain of teenage suicide victims and normal control subjects. Mean ± SD values of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the prefrontal cortex (BA-10) of normal control subjects (n = 24) and teenage suicide victims (n = 24). * p

Figure 2

Protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the postmortem brain of teenage suicide victims and normal control subjects. Mean ± SD values of TNF-α and IL-1β in the prefrontal cortex (BA- 8) of normal control subjects (n = 24) and teenage suicide victims (n = 24). * p

Figure 3

mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the postmortem brain of teenage suicide victims and normal control subjects. Mean ± SD values of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the prefrontal cortex (BA-10) of normal control subjects (n = 24) and teenage suicide victims (n = 24). * p