Differential regulation of depression associated interferon-inducible genes identified in HCV patients during IFN-alpha therapy in hippocampal and prefrontal cortex mouse neurons

Aims: In previous studies, 16 genes strongly associated with the development of severe depressive side effects during the standard therapy with IFN-α and ribavirin were identified in the peripheral blood of HCV patients. In addition, an enhanced expression of such genes was found in psychiatric patients undergoing severe depression and in autopsy brain tissue from suicidal individuals. Aims: The present study elucidates the effects of IFN-α and Poly I:C costimulation, which would promote the activation of INF-α and TLR3 pathways, on the expression of the identified interferon-inducible genes and inflammatory-rel…