Is serum folate level a predictor of response in depressive patients who failed to previous antidepressant treatments? a naturalistic study

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 607-607
Author(s):  
M. Bares ◽  
T. Novak ◽  
M. Kopecek ◽  
P. Stopkova ◽  
C. Höschl

Introduction and objectiveThe data from previous studies suggested that folate serum level predicts outcome of treatment in patients who failed to respond to SSRI.AimsWe examined the relationship of serum folate level and response to treatment with various antidepressant interventions (antidepressants, combinations of antidepressants and augmentations) in patients who had failed to respond to at least one previous antidepressant treatment.MethodsEighty-four inpatients (mean age = 46.2 ± 11.3 years, 69% woman) with major depression according to DSM IV and without gastrointestinal or other comorbidities that might influenced folate level were enrolled to the study. Clinical status was assessed using MADRS, CGI and BDI-SF at baseline and at the end of study (mean length of treatment- 5.2 ± 0.9 weeks) and response was defined as reduction of MADRS score≥50%. Folate serum levels were determined before start of treatment (normal level >2.5 ng/ml).ResultsLow folate level was detected only in 3 patients (2 responders) in our sample. Responders (54%) and non-responders were not different in baseline folate level as well as in clinical a demographic parameters with exception of number of previous unsuccessful treatments of index episode. Furthermore we did not find any correlations between folate level and baseline or final MADRS score as well as reduction of MADRS respectively.ConclusionDespite encouraging data from previous studies, based on our data we did not suppose association of baseline serum folate level and outcome of treatment in resistant patients.This study was supported by grants of Ministry of Health of Czech Republic NS 10368-3 and MZ0PCP2005.

Blood ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 599-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
ER Eichner ◽  
CJ Paine ◽  
VL Dickson ◽  
MD Jr Hargrove

Abstract We studied the effect of serum folate-binding protein (FBP) on folate radioassays and the relationship of the serum level of unsaturated FBP to the serum folate level in various clinical states. Our modification of a heat-extracted radioassay was compared to a whole serum radioassay. Our results confirmed the existence of elevated serum levels of unsaturated FBP in some normal subjects, in some women taking oral contraceptives, and in most patients with uremia. Elevated levels of unsaturated FBP will produce falsely low results in folate radioassay unless the FBP has been destroyed by heat, as was done in the modified radioassay here presented. In normal and uremic subjects, serum folate and unsaturated FBP levels tended to correlate, whereas in patients taking large doses of folic acid the level of unsaturated FBP fell as the level of serum folate rose.


Blood ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 599-609
Author(s):  
ER Eichner ◽  
CJ Paine ◽  
VL Dickson ◽  
MD Jr Hargrove

We studied the effect of serum folate-binding protein (FBP) on folate radioassays and the relationship of the serum level of unsaturated FBP to the serum folate level in various clinical states. Our modification of a heat-extracted radioassay was compared to a whole serum radioassay. Our results confirmed the existence of elevated serum levels of unsaturated FBP in some normal subjects, in some women taking oral contraceptives, and in most patients with uremia. Elevated levels of unsaturated FBP will produce falsely low results in folate radioassay unless the FBP has been destroyed by heat, as was done in the modified radioassay here presented. In normal and uremic subjects, serum folate and unsaturated FBP levels tended to correlate, whereas in patients taking large doses of folic acid the level of unsaturated FBP fell as the level of serum folate rose.


Blood ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 911-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Colman ◽  
V Herbert

The current study presents evidence that all human serum contains a class of high-affinity folate binders (KA=2.8 X10(10 liters/mole), which migrate as a single peak on gel filtration. Failure of previous studies to detect this characteristic in all but a minority of subjects is attributable to its variable, often total, saturation. Direct measurement of the total folate binding capacity (TFBC) has been made possible by dissociation of endogenous folate-binder complexes at acid pH, removal of free folate by coated charcoal, and radiofolate tagging. This procedure does not appear to significantly denature the binders, which release and rebind similar quantities of 3H-PGA. In 20 normal subjects, TFBC ranged from 100 to 325 pg/ml (mean+/-SE = 174+/-16), and was always at least 33% saturated. In three clinical conditions, all associated with elevated unsaturated folate binding capacity, three different patterns emerged when TFBC was also measured. Uremic subjects had significantly elevated mean TFBC with normal saturation. In cirrhotic subjects, mean TFBC approximated normal, but saturation was significantly decreased. In pregnancy, two groups were seen: one with increased TFBC and the other with a normal TFBC, some of whom had decreased saturation. Lactobacillus casei serum folate level was about 30 times greater than the TFBC; there was no correlation between the two measurements.


Blood ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 911-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Colman ◽  
V Herbert

Abstract The current study presents evidence that all human serum contains a class of high-affinity folate binders (KA=2.8 X10(10 liters/mole), which migrate as a single peak on gel filtration. Failure of previous studies to detect this characteristic in all but a minority of subjects is attributable to its variable, often total, saturation. Direct measurement of the total folate binding capacity (TFBC) has been made possible by dissociation of endogenous folate-binder complexes at acid pH, removal of free folate by coated charcoal, and radiofolate tagging. This procedure does not appear to significantly denature the binders, which release and rebind similar quantities of 3H-PGA. In 20 normal subjects, TFBC ranged from 100 to 325 pg/ml (mean+/-SE = 174+/-16), and was always at least 33% saturated. In three clinical conditions, all associated with elevated unsaturated folate binding capacity, three different patterns emerged when TFBC was also measured. Uremic subjects had significantly elevated mean TFBC with normal saturation. In cirrhotic subjects, mean TFBC approximated normal, but saturation was significantly decreased. In pregnancy, two groups were seen: one with increased TFBC and the other with a normal TFBC, some of whom had decreased saturation. Lactobacillus casei serum folate level was about 30 times greater than the TFBC; there was no correlation between the two measurements.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 755-755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Yan ◽  
Mark David Vincent ◽  
Cheryl Ho ◽  
Eric Winquist ◽  
Derek J. Jonker ◽  
...  

755 Background: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy is associated with severe and unpredictable toxicity in a significant proportion of patients.We hypothesized that susceptibility to 5-FU toxicity might be related to individual differences in components of reduced folate metabolism affecting intracellular 5,10-MTHF levels, detectable in blood prior to treatment. Methods: A prospective cohort of chemo-naive colorectal cancer patients planned to receive IV 5-FU and folinic acid for five consecutive days every four weeks were studied. Baseline clinical and laboratory data were collected prior to treatment. Biochemical data associated with folate metabolism was also collected and not revealed to treating physicians. The primary endpoint was occurrence of > grade 3 toxicity and/or toxicity mandating dose delay or reduction. Results: Of 78 eligible patients studied, 68% experienced > grade 3 toxicity, 69% had schedule modification, and 81% had either or both. Multivariable analyses identified only a higher pre-treatment serum folate level as an independent predictor of toxicity > grade 3 and/or mandating schedule modification (p = 0.016). An increasing toxicity trend was observed amongst folate-stratified patient cohorts, with an odds ratio of 2.87 (p = 0.09) comparing the highest and lowest quartiles. Concurrently, overall survival and relapse-free rates also increased with pretreatment folate levels in the adjuvant cohort with log rank values of 3.60 (p = 0.06) and 7.20 (p = 0.007) between the highest quartile and the lower quartiles, respectively. Conclusions: The incidence of severe toxicity with this schedule of 5-FU and folinic acid was high and positively correlated with the pretreatment serum folate level. Interestingly, a concurrent increase in overall and relapse free survival is observed with increasing serum folate levels. These results suggest that an optimal pretreatment folate level exists that balances chemotherapy treatment efficacy and toxicity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henriette Nørmølle Buttenschøn ◽  
Marit Nielsen ◽  
Simon Glerup ◽  
Ole Mors

BackgroundThe identification of biomarkers for depression is of great clinical relevance as the diagnosis is currently subjective. Recent research points towards sortilin as a potential biomarker for depression, and the aim of the current study was to investigate the serum sortilin level in response to antidepressant treatment.MethodsThe study included 56 depressed individuals of which 41 responded to treatment. Depression scores and serum levels of sortilin were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks of antidepressant treatment. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata 13.ResultsThe depression score and response to treatment were not predicted by the sortilin level. Likewise, we observed no significant change in serum sortilin levels following 12 weeks of antidepressant treatment. Furthermore, no association between the serum sortilin level and depression score was observed.ConclusionThe results do not point towards sortilin as a state-dependent biomarker.


The Lancet ◽  
1968 ◽  
Vol 291 (7556) ◽  
pp. 1376-1377 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Majid Shojania ◽  
Gloria Hornady ◽  
PhilipH Barnes

2012 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 1505-1510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenghua Zhou ◽  
Yuan Yang ◽  
Ming Li ◽  
Chong Kou ◽  
Ping Xiao ◽  
...  

Abstract The objective of this study was to develop a new Tween-80 microbiological assay (Tween-80 MBA) to determine human or animal serum folate levels and to verify its reliability. The effects of the Lactobacillius casei subspecies rhamnosus (L. casei, ATCC No. 7469) inoculum concentration, incubation time, and Tween-80 on L. casei growth were studied, and the serum folate levels were investigated. Serum samples were collected from patients with esophageal cancer (EC) and healthy control subjects in Yanting, healthy adult subjects in Chengdu, Sichuan, and in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Optimal conditions for the new MBA were as follows: 1.28 × 107 CFU/mL working inoculum, vitamin folic acid assay broth with 0.24% (w/w) Tween-80, and anaerobic incubation with L. casei at 37°C for 22 h. Under the optimal conditions, the working curve was in simple linear rather than logarithmic equation; the linear working curve of the folic acid standard working solution concentration versus the turbidity (adsorption value) of medium with L. casei ranged from 0.05 to 1.00 μg/L; the linear correlation coefficient was 0.9989 (SD 0.0007); the recovery rate of folate was 105.4–112.7%; and the minimum concentration for detecting folate was 0.03 μg/L. The RSD within-day and between-day precisions were 5.6 and 3.3%, respectively. The serum folate level of 100 EC patients was 6.4 (SEM 0.4) μg/L which was significantly lower than that of healthy control subjects [8.0 (SEM 0.6) μg/L, n = 100, P = 0.020]. The new Tween-80 MBA is considered to be a reliable method for measuring serum folate level.


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