Tumor markers and depression scores are predictive of non-suicidal self-injury behaviors among adolescents with depressive disorder: A retrospective study

Peng-Cheng Yi; Yan-Hua Qin; Chun-Mei Zheng; Ke-Ming Ren; Lei Huang; Wei Chen

doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.953842

Tumor markers and depression scores are predictive of non-suicidal self-injury behaviors among adolescents with depressive disorder: A retrospective study

Front Neurosci. 2022 Aug 11:16:953842. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.953842. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Peng-Cheng Yi^{1

2}, Yan-Hua Qin¹, Chun-Mei Zheng^{1

3}, Ke-Ming Ren¹, Lei Huang¹, Wei Chen^{1

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
² Department of Clinical Psychology, The Third People's Hospital of Xiangshan County, Ningbo, China.
³ Department of Psychiatry, The Seventh People's Hospital of Shaoxing, Shaoxing, China.
⁴ Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.

Abstract

Background: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is an important risk factor for suicide in adolescents with depressive disorders; therefore, it is important to predict NSSI occurrence as early as possible. Disturbances in biological rhythms are characteristic manifestations of depressive disorders and can lead to immune dysfunction, leading to changes in tumor markers. This study aimed to produce an index that utilizes tumor markers to predict NSSI behaviors among adolescents with depressive disorders.

Methods: A total of 120 hospitalized adolescent patients with depressive disorders aged 14-24 years were included in this study. Participants were divided into NSSI and non-NSSI groups based on self-reports using the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory. Demographics, tumor marker concentrations, other peripheral blood indices, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores, and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) scores were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to develop a joint index, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was created to predict NSSI behaviors among adolescents with depressive disorders.

Results: Compared with the non-NSSI group, the NSSI group had significantly higher insight, retardation, insomnia, hopelessness, psychiatric anxiety, total HDRS and HAMA scores, and significantly higher levels of cancer antigen 125 (CA-125), cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). In addition, a joint index was developed by combining CA-125, CA19-9, CEA, HDRS total score, HAMA total score and age using multiple logistic regression to predict NSSI behaviors. The area under the curve was 0.831, with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.734 and 0.891, respectively.

Conclusion: A combination of depression score, tumor marker levels, and age can identify NSSI behaviors among adolescents with depressive disorders.

Keywords: adolescent; depression disorder; non-suicidal self-injury behavior; predictive index; tumor marker.