Evaluation of the levels of serum agmatine and its metabolites in adolescents aged 13-17 years diagnosed with major depressive disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders of childhood and adolescence, but its etiopathogenesis is still unclear. It is observed that published neurochemical studies mostly focus on the monoaminergic system. However the pathophysiology of the disorder can not be explained by monoamine hypothesis only and the medications that have effect on monoamines can not have effect needed in all MDD patients. In neuropsychiatric disorders, L-arginine metabolism has been continuing the center of interest by researchers. In present study, it is aimed that the investigation of the poliamine pathway of L-arginine metabolism which is proceeding by way of agmatine in adolescents diagnosed with MDD. Our study involved 45 cases who applied to the Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Diseases at Fırat University Faculty of Medicine with depressive symptoms, providing inclusion criteria of study and diagnosed MDD between the ages of 13-17 (case group), and involved as well 44 healthy controls (control group) be about total 89 volunteer subjects. Sociodemographic data form, Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version-DSM-5 Turkish Adaptation, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were applied to all subjects. All subjects were evaluated in terms of the levels of serum agmatine, putrescine, spermidine, spermine. The levels of serum agmatine and spermine are found significantly increased and the levels of serum putrescine and spermidine are found significantly decreased in case group compared with healthy controls. It was found that a significant negative correlation with the levels of serum putrescine and spermidine between BDI scores that evaluated depressive symptom severity, besides found that significant positive correlation between the levels of serum spermine and BDI scores. There was no significant correlation between the levels of serum agmatine and BDI scores. In conclusion, the findings of differences that the levels of serum agmatine and polyamine in the MDD group in our study seem to be a field that worth researching. In the future, the evaluation of the arginine/polyamine metabolism in MDD with larger sample and longitudinal studies is going to capable to contribute to a better understanding of the disorder.