The rela DNA damage in patients diagnosed with depressive disorder

Aim: Depressive disorders are psychiatric disorders widely seen in society and that lead to disability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation between nitrosative stress and oxidative DNA damage and depressive disorder. Another aim of the study was to investigate the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) applied in the treatment of depressive disorder on nitrosative stress and oxidative DNA damage. Method: Patients diagnosed with depressive disorder based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria (60 major depressive disorder and 30 bipolar depressive period) and 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. Patients with depressive disorder were assessed before and after treatment using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale. Pre-treatment serum NO, NOS, peroxynitrite and 8-OHdG levels of patients with depressive disorder were first compared with those of the healthy controls. Next, depressive disorder patients' postmedication and post-ECT NO, NOS, peroxynitrite and 8-OHdG levels were measured and compared with pre-treatment values. Serum NO, NOS and peroxynitrite were measured using the spectrophotometric method, and 8-OHdG using ELISA. Results: NO, NOS, peroxynitrite and 8-OHdG levels were statistically significantly higher in the patients diagnosed with depressive disorder than in the control group (p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.003, and p=0.020, respectively). Statistically significant decreases were observed following ECT in NO and NOS values compared to pre-ECT values in the depressive patient group receiving ECT (p<0.001, and p=0.015, respectively). 8-OHdG increased significantly post-ECT compared to pre-ECT values (p=0.001). A significant increase following drug therapy compared to pre-treatment values was observed only in NOS. There are statistically significant difference in changes NOS and 8-OHdG values between groups receiving medication and ECT (p=0.001, and p=0.009, respectively). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate pre- and post-treatment nitrosative stress and oxidative DNA damage in patients receiving ECT. Our findings suggest that ECT may result in a decrease in nitrosative stress levels and in an increase in oxidative DNA damage. Further studies are now needed for a better understanding of this subject. Key words: Electroconvulsive therapy, Nitrosative stress, Oxidative DNA damage, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine.