Interferon therapy and its association with depressive disorders - A review

Jing Yung Lai; Jian Xiang Ho; Audrey Siew Foong Kow; Gengfan Liang; Chau Ling Tham; Yu-Cheng Ho; Ming Tatt Lee

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1048592

Interferon therapy and its association with depressive disorders - A review

Front Immunol. 2023 Feb 22:14:1048592. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1048592. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jing Yung Lai¹, Jian Xiang Ho¹, Audrey Siew Foong Kow¹, Gengfan Liang¹, Chau Ling Tham², Yu-Cheng Ho³, Ming Tatt Lee¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
² Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
³ School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.

Abstract

Interferons (IFNs) are important in controlling the innate immune response to viral infections. Besides that, studies have found that IFNs also have antimicrobial, antiproliferative/antitumor and immunomodulatory effects. IFNs are divided into Type I, II and III. Type I IFNs, in particular IFN-α, is an approved treatment for hepatitis C. However, patients developed neuropsychological disorders during treatment. IFN-α induces proinflammatory cytokines, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), oxidative and nitrative stress that intensifies the body's inflammatory response in the treatment of chronic inflammatory disease. The severity of the immune response is related to behavioral changes in both animal models and humans. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is important for synaptic plasticity and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus. However, excess ROS will generate highly reactive free radicals which may lead to neuronal damage and neurodegeneration. The limbic system regulates memory and emotional response, damage of neurons in this region is correlated with mood disorders. Due to the drawbacks of the treatment, often patients will not complete the treatment sessions, and this affects their recovery process. However, with proper management, this could be avoided. This review briefly describes the different types of IFNs and its pharmacological and clinical usages and a focus on IFN-α and its implications on depression.

Keywords: HPA axis; adverse (side) effects; depression; hippocampus; interferons; neuroinflamamation.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cytokines
Depressive Disorder* / chemically induced
Depressive Disorder* / drug therapy
Humans
Interferon Type I* / pharmacology
Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use
Reactive Oxygen Species

Substances

Reactive Oxygen Species
Interferon-alpha
Interferon Type I
Cytokines

Grants and funding

The study was supported by grants from the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme, Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia (FRGS/1/2021/WAB13/UCSI/02/1 and FRGS/1/2018/SKK10/UPM/02/2) and UCSI University Research Excellence and Innovation Grant, Malaysia (REIG-FPS-2020/065 and REIG-FPS-2022/006).