Anti-ribosomal P antibodies related to depression in early clinical course of systemic lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND Diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric lupus is still a major challenge in clinical practice. We investigated the association between depression and anti-ribosomal P (anti-P) antibodies in a sample of Iranian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted on adult patients with SLE referring to a referral out-patient clinic of rheumatology. Demographic data and clinical data with regards to measuring disease activity with the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index were gathered. Anti-P antibodies were measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Depression severity was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II. RESULTS One hundred patients (80% female and 20% male, age = 34.8 ± 10.9 years) were included. Anti-P antibodies were present more frequently in depressed than non-depressed patients (30% vs. 10%, P = 0.015). Depression severity was correlated with anti-P antibodies level only in patients with disease duration of less than 2 years (r = 0.517, P = 0.019). There was no association between the depression severity and disease activity. Binary logistic regression analysis showed age (B = 0.953, CI 95%: 0.914-0.993) and positive anti-P antibodies (B = 4.30, CI 95%: 1.18-15.59) as factors that independently associated with depression. CONCLUSION We found an association between depression and presence of anti-P antibodies, and also strong correlation between depression severity and anti-P antibodies level in newly diagnosed SLE patients. Depression severity in newly diagnosed SLE patients may reflect a neuropsychiatric involvement, and in later phases, it is more affected by the chronicity of the disease as well as other environmental factors.