Serum Proteome-based Network Analysis for Understanding the Pathophysiology of Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric illness with a high global prevalence, leading to significant personal and societal burdens such as functional impairment and increased suicide risk. Despite its prevalence, the pathophysiology of depression remains poorly understood, and current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches primarily rely on subjective clinical assessments. This study examined the protein networks and biological pathways associated with depression by comparing the plasma proteome of MDD patients with that of healthy controls. Using proteomics approaches, this study analyzed the serum samples from 30 MDD patients and 30 healthy individuals. Differentially expressed proteins were identified based on a t-test with a P-value<0.05 and a fold change>1.2. Twenty proteins were significantly altered in the MDD group. Further analysis using STRING and Reactome revealed platelet degranulation, the acute phase response, blood coagulation, and the complement pathways to be key biological processes associated with MDD. Hence, the specific alterations in the serum proteome may be linked to the underlying pathophysiology of depression and could serve as a foundation for the development of objective diagnostic markers and therapeutic strategies.