Effect of vortioxetine on proinflammatory cytokine levels in patients with heart failure and comorbid depression

Abstract

Introduction: Several studies have shown impaired cytokine status in both patients with depression and chronic heart failure (HF). Objective(s): to study the effect of vortioxetine on the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines: interleukin -1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin - 6 (IL-6). Method(s): there were examined 80 patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) of ischemic genesis with functional class (FC) II-III (NYHA), 37 patients were without depression, 43 - with mild or moderate depressive disorders. Those with mild or moderate depressive disorders were divided into 2 subgroups: 21 patients received psychotherapy, 22 patients, in addition to psychotherapy, were prescribed vortioxetine at a dose of 10 mg / day in the morning after meals. The control group consisted of 20 healthy individuals. The level of cytokines in the blood was determined by ELISA method. Result(s): Patients with CHF have an increase in levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Thus, the concentration in the serum of IL-1beta was 2.3 times higher than the same indicator in the control group: (56.45 - 4.17) pg / ml, against (24.71 - 4.21) pg / ml p <0.001). Depression caused an additional increase in the levels of IL-1beta by 13.5% (p <0.05) and IL-6 - by 17.3% (p <0.01). Additional administration of vortioxetine caused a more rapid decrease in blood levels of both IL-1beta (HR 0.87 [95% CI 0.72-0.97; p = 0.034]) and IL-6 (HR 0.81 [95% CI 0.68-0.93; p = 0.029]). Conclusion(s): Thus, vortioxetine causes a decrease in the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and IL-6 in patients with HF and comorbid depression.