Study of the Telomere-telomerase System and the Expression of Candidate Genes in the Leukocytes of Patients With Depressive Disorder: Search for Peripheral Markers of Somatic Stress

Inclusion Criteria:

• Persons who have given their written informed consent
• absence of a diagnosis of major depressive disorder throughout the study and no history of psychiatric disorders
• diagnosis of a first episode of a major depressive disorder
• diagnosis of a recurrent major depressive disorder (at least three episodes) with or without resistance to therapy

Remarks:

• the diagnosis of major depressive disorder with characteristics of melancholy must be clearly mentioned in the case report form but is not a reason for not being included in the study
• the presence of a recent or older attempted suicide must lead to a careful clinical assessment of the diagnosis of depressive disorder and must be clearly mentioned in the case report form.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Persons not covered by the national Health Insurance Agency
• Psychotic or bipolar disorders
• Severe personality disorders
• cardiovascular disease, proven inflammatory disease and cancer
• persons unable to give their consent personally,
• persons in emergency situations,
• pregnant women,
• breast-feeding women