The Inflammatory Mechanism in Depression and Some Possible Effective Agents

Depression is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects more than 264 million people worldwide and is one of the main contributors to global Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY) (1). Limitations in psychosocial functioning, propensity to use drugs and alcohol, reduced quality of personal and professional life, and suicide in patients are alarming (1,2). The economic costs of the disorder and its individual and social effects in the United States are more than $ 200 billion annually (3).The combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy is the first line of treatment for depression (2). Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) and Mono Amine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) are the first generation of antidepressants introduced in the 1950s. The second generation of antidepressants is Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs). Because of the reported efficacy and tolerability, SSRIs are the first line of pharmacotherapy, and TCAs and MAOIs are in the second and third lines, respectively (2,3).