Serum apelin is associated with affective disorders in peritoneal dialysis patients

Abstract

Objective: Depression and anxiety are prevalent affective disorders in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Recent research has proposed a potential role of apelinergic system in pathogenesis of depression. The present study aimed to evaluate the frequency of depression and anxiety and their potential relation with serum apelin levels among PD patients.

Methods: A total of 40 PD patients were enrolled into the study. Depressive symptoms and anxiety were assessed with the Beck’s Depression Inventory and the Beck’s Anxiety Inventory. Serum apelin-12 levels were measured by immunoenzymatic assays using commercially available ELISA kit for standard human apelin.

Results: Of the patients, 16 (40%) had depression, 20 (50%) had anxiety. The patients with depression and anxiety had a significantly longer time on dialysis (p < 0.001 for both), significantly higher serum apelin (p < 0.001 for both) and C-reactive protein levels (p < 0.001 for both) than those without depression and anxiety. In multivariate analysis, serum apelin was the only parameter associated independently with depression and anxiety scores.

Conclusions: A substantial number of PD patients had depression and anxiety. Increased levels of serum apelin may constitute a significant independent predictor of development of depression and anxiety in PD patients.

Keywords:

• Anxiety
• apelin
• C-reactive protein
• depression
• peritoneal dialysis

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the contents of this article.

The authors declare that this manuscript has not been published previously and is not currently being assessed for publication by any journal other than “Renal Failure”.

Each author has contributed substantially to the research, preparation and production of the paper and approves of its submission to the Journal.

Ethical approval

All subjects gave written informed consent, and the study protocol was reviewed and approved by the local ethics committee.