Interleukin-1 β-targeted treatment strategies in inflammatory depression: toward personalized care

Objectives: It is unknown whether a cytokine signature may help the identification of subgroup of patient who would respond to personalized treatment. As interleukin-1 beta (Il-1β) seems to play a major role in mood disorder, a systematic review and meta-analysis of its potential role in major depressive disorder (MDD) was carried out.

Methods: A systematic search was performed to identify appropriate MDD vs. control studies pertaining to Il-1β. Methodological quality and possible moderators were also assessed.

Results: A total of 1922 studies were identified, and 53 articles were selected. Results showed an association between increased blood IL-1β and MDD in high-quality studies only. No association with age was found. No IL-1β gene-related polymorphisms has been associated with MDD. No effect of antidepressant on IL-1β level has been found, although the antidepressants investigated were various. Qualitative analyses indicate that MDD coupled to a history of childhood trauma may be a subgroup for IL-1β -targeted therapies. No difference in studies utilizing a stimulation method has been identified to date.

Conclusions: The present work has confirmed IL-1β as a biological marker of interest for innovative MDD treatments. However, further studies are needed to clarify the patients with MDD who may benefit from these therapies.