Although many isolated studies have been conducted previously in this area of research, this is the first large-scale investigation to review and statistically combine data from all studies that have reported immune cell counts, as measured by flow cytometry (a state-of-the-art method for counting immune cells), in adults with and without a diagnosis of depression. By combining these studies and increasing the total number of people involved, more definitive conclusions can be drawn.
Lead author Éimear Foley: "Current treatments for depression do not work for all patients and immunotherapy could be useful for a subgroup of patients. Our aim is to use these findings to better guide our selection of patients for future immunotherapy trials for depression with the hope of working towards more effective, personalised care in mental health."
Paper: 'Peripheral blood cellular immunophenotype in depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis' by Éimear M. Foley et al. in Molecular Psychiatry (open access)