Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41249121›Full record

ArticleActa neuropsychiatrica2025

Monomeric CRP and negative acute phase proteins, but not pentameric CRP, as biomarkers of major depression and MDMD.

Abbas F Almulla, Mengqi Niu, Drozdstoy Stoyanov, Yingqian Zhang, Michael Maes

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Acta neuropsychiatrica, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Abbas F AlmullaSichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7667-6731
Mengqi NiuSichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Drozdstoy StoyanovDepartment of Psychiatry, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9975-3680
Yingqian ZhangSichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Michael MaesSichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2012-871X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundContrary to the negative acute-phase protein (APP) response, there is no consistent correlation between serum pentameric C-reactive protein (pCRP) and major depression (MDD). Monomeric CRP (mCRP), a dissociation product of pCRP under immune-inflammatory conditions, exhibits pro-inflammatory effects; however, it has not been investigated in MDD or its subtypes, major dysmood disorder (MDMD) and simple dysmood disorder (SDMD).

objectiveTo examine serum mCRP, albumin, transferrin, M1 macrophage and Thelper-17 immune profiles, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in MDD, MDMD and SDMD.

methodsSeventy-nine MDMD patients, 30 SDMD patients, and 40 controls were included. Serum mCRP was measured by ELISA; albumin, transferrin, and pCRP by biochemical assays; and cytokines using Luminex technology.

resultsMDMD patients showed significantly higher mCRP compared with SDMD and controls, while both patient groups exhibited reduced albumin and transferrin. Combining mCRP with albumin and transferrin showed an adequate accuracy for MDD (area under the ROC Curve = 0.793). Adding IL-17A and ACEs improved accuracy (ROC = 0.855). Serum mCRP levels are additionally associated with pCRP, M1 macrophage profile, body mass index, and ACEs. Up to 36.6% of the variance in overall severity of depression was explained by mCRP, T-helper-17 profile, ACEs (all positively), albumin and transferrin (both inversely).

conclusionFuture research in MDD should employ mCRP rather than pCRP as a biomarker of depression/MDMD. Combining mCRP with biomarkers of the negative acute-phase response identified 63.7% of MDD patients with a smouldering acute-phase response, with a specificity of 82.1%. We recommend to assess mCRP rather than pCRP in MDD studies.

Indexed as

Acute-Phase ProteinsC-Reactive ProteinMajor Depressive DisorderAdultBiomarkersFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedTransferrinAcute-Phase ProteinsBiomarkersC-Reactive ProteinTransferrinbiomarkersinflammationmajor depressionMonomeric CRPnegative acute phase proteins

Identifiers

PMID41249121
PMCPMC13130293

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.