Discovery and validation of protein biomarkers for monitoring the effectiveness of drug treatment for major depressive disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has a high prevalence worldwide. Although the economic burden of depression increases annually, the proportion of patients with MDD receiving treatment did not increase between 2010 and 2018, suggesting an unmet treatment need. The burden of long-term treatment for depression is borne by patients. In this context, biomarkers associated with drug-treatment responses can be used as reference indicators to reduce unnecessary treatment and costs. Changes in biomolecules in response to drug treatment for depression and drug-treatment response markers have been studied extensively. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) is mainly used as an indicator of response and remission; however, it is difficult to determine whether the medication contributes to recovery when evaluating the effect of drug treatment for depression based on this assessment. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the effect of medication compared to normal health conditions. Here, serum protein levels were compared using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry among a group of patients with depression who did not receive medication, a group of patients receiving medication, and a control group. Eight selected biomarkers, including Apolipoproteins A-I, Complement factor H, Complement C5, Complement C1q subcomponent subunit B, Alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, Complement C1q subcomponent subunit C, Vitamin D-binding protein and Corticosteroid-binding globulin were distinguished between disease states, and protein levels in the drug-treated group were similar to those in the control group. These markers can be used to monitor the effectiveness of drug treatment.