Background: Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in major depression.
Aims: We investigated the expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in the prefrontal cortex in depression.
Method: Immunohistochemistry to localise CAMs in post-mortem tissue from 20 subjects with major depression and 20 controls, and image analysis to quantify their expression.
Results: We found significant increases in CAMs in the grey matter of the DLPFC in the depression group but no comparable differences in the ACC or occipital cortex. In the white matter there was a non-significant increase in intercellular adhesion molecule-I in the DLPFC in the depression group but no increase in the other areas or for vascular cell adhesion molecule-I in any area. Paired tests showed specificity for the DLPFC in the depression group only.
Conclusions: The increase in CAM expression in the DLPFC suggests an inflammatory reaction and is consistent with ischaemia.